The Second Sun
by moonstone6793
Summary: Knowing the future is a huge responsibility. Especially if you're thrown back so early in the timeline practically anything you do might change everything you know! Renny has to keep the timeline intact. No matter what. BuckyxOC (Accompanying story to "Getting to know Spiderboy", first gen trio shenanigans, you don't have to read GTKS to understand this one) (COMPLETE!)
1. Switch

_**A/N: As promised, here is the accompanying story to "Getting to know Spiderboy" featuring the first gen trio- Bucky, Steve, and Renny. The chapters of this story will most likely be short, only detailing a few moments of their friendship. The first two or three chapters are really just the flashback excerpts from GTKS, but this first chapter will give you a slight insight into how Renny falls into the MCU.**_

 _ **I welcome any newcomers and greet the ones who are here from GTKS. I hope you like the story.**_

 _ **Read on!**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I only own my OCs and most of the plot. Anything you might recognize from MCU movies belongs to Marvel.**_

* * *

 **Switch**

* * *

New York.

 _Holy crap_ she was in New York. The grin on her face could have been face splitting.

Renny had grown up with superheroes. Iron Man was her idol when she was six. Hulk was her giant teddy bear that kept the nightmares away. Thor emphasized the importance of being humble, Sif turned her attention to trying her hand at martial arts, and Loki reminded her that smarts and cunning were just as important as being able to throw a punch.

She loved Steve for his big heart and Peggy became another model of strength for her.

The Avengers had her ten-year-old self gaping wide-eyed at the screen during that one iconic moment that the world's mightiest heroes came together in perfect sync…

That was the movie that started her want to visit New York, no matter how far. That want only got stronger with every Marvel movie that featured spots in the city- particularly Doctor Strange and Spiderman Homecoming.

When she turned fifteen, it finally happened. She got to visit her aunt in New York and she had a week. Several days during the summer didn't feel like enough.

She'd been to Bleecker street, the café that Captain America had been in when he was sketching Stark tower, Grand Central station, a bit around Brooklyn and Queens, now, Central Park.

Standing at the Bethesda Terrace was the last thing she remembered. Closing her eyes, feeling the wind on her face, and imagining that Loki and Thor were standing right beside her…

Then it was a bit of a blur from that moment.

The sound of shattering glass, the violent swirl of colors, and the feeling of falling and flying at the same time. She felt like she was being rapidly pulled through water and her veins felt like they were filled with both fire and ice. She felt like she couldn't breathe even with the feeling of wind whipping past her.

Over her own frantic cries, she heard yells and different voices that were vaguely familiar.

 _"_ _Stop!"_

 _"_ _Were those the car keys?"_

 _"_ _I heard screams…"_

 _"_ _The convergence…"_

 _"…_ _Put down the spear!"_

 _"_ _You weren't manipulating the space-time continuum…"_

 _"…_ _Loki! No!"_

 _"_ _Did you hear that?"_

 _"_ _Now Darcy!"_

 _"…_ _You were breaking it!"_

Then… when she thought that her heart would burst from how hard it was beating against her ribs, the chaos stopped with her crashing to her hands and knees in a puddle of water.

* * *

That was practically a month ago. A month of wandering the streets. It was traumatic, suddenly finding yourself very alone, trying to survive while processing that she had somehow traveled back in time. The late 20's to be exact.

Summer had faded some time ago, and the autumn chill was in the air. She thought she never felt colder in her life and the last meal she ate was the day before. Most days were like this, feeling hungry, cold, hopeless, and purposeless.

Renny looked up at the grey sky, wondering what kind of sick joke this was. Throwing her back in time when she was a nobody. What was the purpose of it all?

Just then, the sky opened up and rain began pouring down, soaking her clothes before she got to a small shaded niche by the side of a building. She slumped down on the ground and let out a slow, defeated sigh. She pulled her knees to her chest, closing her eyes.

Maybe she'd get sick and die.

Whatever higher power sent her here, they wasted their power and effort.

 _Pathetic._

She chuckled and let a bitter smile curve her lips.

"Hello miss."

The childish voice made her lazily open her eyes. Grey met warm brown. She was surprised to see a young boy standing in front of her. Renny guessed that he was maybe ten years old.

He seemed a bit shy at first, scuffing his shoe on the ground, but then he spoke again. "It's pretty cold out and this rain is getting bad."

She wondered what the kid wanted. What would a kid want with a random street person like her?

"You'll catch a cold if you stay out here. My best friend gets sick a lot, and his ma makes him take these medicines. Steve says they taste real bad." He stuck his tongue out, nose wrinkling.

Adorable kid. She had to give him a small smile. It was then she noticed that the rain wasn't soaking into her clothes anymore. She looked up and saw the boy was holding his umbrella over the both of them.

"Medicine usually tastes bad." She agreed, though she was still confused and didn't know what else to say.

The boy looked a bit awkward and scratched at the back of his neck. "That's why you shouldn't get sick, miss. Are you waiting for the rain to stop?" He asked innocently.

Oh… sweet kid. Concerned about a stranger. He probably thought that she was just an unlucky girl without an umbrella, waiting out the rain. She didn't want to tell him she was there at the shaded alcove of the building because she had nowhere else to go. Kids were naturally sympathetic and tried to solve problems so much bigger than them even when they couldn't really do anything about it.

"Yeah. You should get moving too before this rain gets worse. You might get sick." Renny smiled again, her eyes glinting sadly, her expression soft. She didn't want to make him feel bad that he couldn't really help her out. The hard truth was that he would just have to leave her to her misfortune.

The boy's cheeks warmed slightly, and the teen noticed how he seemed to be looking for something. He must have found it, because a determined look became present in his eyes like he made a serious decision. The expression was undoubtedly cute on a kid's face.

"Here, lady." He said, holding out the handle to his umbrella.

Renny was shocked, to say the least. "I can't take this. You need it more than me. It's difficult when kids get sick." The 20's wasn't exactly the best time to get pneumonia.

The boy shook his head and put the handle firmly in her hands. "Don't worry about me, miss. I live just close by, I can run." He pulled his jacket over his head and got ready to make a break for it. "Besides, my pop said gentlemen lend ladies their jackets and stuff." He grinned impishly before adding, "Especially when it's a pretty dame."

Before he could dart off, Renny got over her shock enough to ask him, "M-May I ask for the kindly gentleman's name before he leaves?"

The little boy's grin widened, the previous light blush on his cheeks a little more evident. "Name's Bucky." He answered simply before running off.

She called out after him before he could turn a corner. "I'm Renny by the way!" The boy slowed down, turning and walking backwards.

"Nice meeting you, Miss Renny!" He gave her one last smile before dashing off again.

"Bucky…" The girl smiled, thinking of someone with the same nickname. Nice boy. Naïve, but nice. He even looked like a kid version of-

"James Buchanan Barnes!" She heard the yell come from somewhere around the corner. It sounded like a woman. "You are soaking wet! Where is your umbrella?"

"Sorry, Ma. Forgot it." The kid's voice answered.

Renny heard the first voice fuss before it was cut off by the sound of a shutting door.

It was then she processed just what she had heard.

Bucky.

James Buchanan Barnes.

 _That_ Bucky?

Renny took a deep, shuddering breath.

This had to be a joke. Right?

As if getting thrown back in time wasn't enough of a twist.

She put a hand to her forehead before running through the conversation she had with little boy Bucky.

He even mentioned that his best friend's name was Steve and that that friend got sick a lot.

Like _Steve Rogers_ before the super soldier serum.

Those things couldn't be coincidence… It was way too much to be chance.

The need to confirm everything put new strength in her limbs, and she didn't feel the cold as much anymore. She had to find some hard evidence, maybe a newspaper article with familiar names.

Standing up and clutching the umbrella tight, she made her way down the sidewalk. There had to be evidence somewhere. Something to cement the fiction that had now become her reality. Something to tell her she was in a world where the future Captain America and Winter Soldier existed.

Looks like the powers that be had some kind of plan for her.

* * *

Renny couldn't believe it. It worked. It really worked.

When she'd found a newspaper and really looked, it didn't take her long to find an article about Howard Stark. The article wasn't plastered all over the front page, but it was still there. It looked like Tony's father was still gaining traction in the scientific world.

"From another world, you say?" The question was voiced in modulated tones. "And you believed it best to seek me out?"

Renny just nodded. She still couldn't believe it worked- what she did to get here. It was laughably simple.

When she found more proof that she really was in the Marvel universe, she had thought about her options.

Approaching Howard Stark wasn't really a choice, she didn't have the smarts to catch his attention. Bucky and Steve were still children- their parents would never really let them interact with some street urchin. She was a fifteen-year-old street girl with no connections whatsoever, she'd already tried getting some kind of job for the past month to no avail. Her chance of survival if she fended for herself was slim.

Who would be willing to house a teenager who had no records? Who could she talk to without them immediately assuming that she was crazy? Someone who believed in parallel worlds and alternate dimensions, possibly magic and the manipulation of time...

She took a chance and went to New York City. It was 1927. Did the place even exist here yet?...

 ** _177A Bleecker Street_**

To her amazement and sheer relief, it was there. She was frozen in front of the building for several long moments as she took it in. The large, round glass window she could see on the second floor. She took a deep breath before she walked up the steps, knocking on the door.

Her voice was so soft, but she didn't want to seem crazy to the passersby on the street who might hear her. "I need to speak with the Ancient One." When nothing happened for a minute, she added a little more desperately, "Please."

When sparks formed a circle beneath her feet, she held her breath and clenched her eyes shut, anticipating to fall like Loki, but there was only a rush of air and her feet never left the ground.

"You can open your eyes now." The voice was gentle.

Renny obeyed and found herself face to face with the Ancient one.

* * *

 _ **A/N: If you're new to the GTKS universe, I'd love to know what you think of the story. Please drop a review. Those who are familiar with my other story, the next chapter will still be more flashback chapters first before I get into a new chapter.**_

 _ **'Til next time**_


	2. Kamar-Taj

_**A/N: Still flashback excerpts from GTKS. Thanks to** **SoraLover987142 and pennybear37 for putting this story on their alerts.**_

 _ **Read on and enjoy!**_ _**  
**_

* * *

**Kamar-Taj**

* * *

It was strange, sipping at tea while spilling her story to the woman in front of her. There was no one else in the receiving room while she talked.

"You say you come from a world that knows this world's future. How can you validate this?" The Ancient one asked at the end of Renny's tale.

"I… Can't you look into my memories or something?" The girl asked. "The things I know, the things I've seen… they won't happen for a long time yet. Years. Decades."

The woman hummed. "I could… but if what you say is true. It would be dangerous. Knowledge of the future is not something someone should have."

Renny nodded, realizing the fault in her suggestion. She thought again… before remembering something. She gulped nervously.

"If I told you something… Something that no one knows but you. Would it help?" The young girl said carefully.

The Ancient One eyed her. Those pale eyes were assessing her, making her shiver. "It would…"

Renny looked around, feeling paranoid that someone was listening in on them. The Ancient One smiled. "There is no one who will overhear."

The girl took a deep breath. "You're old… No one really knows how old you are or how many centuries you've lived. The reason you've lived so long... The reason you're immortal… is because you draw your power from the dark dimension."

The woman's smile turned into a blank expression. "Have you come here to blackmail me with this knowledge and your knowledge of the future?"

"NO! That's not it!" Renny gasped and put her hands up. After a moment, she sat down, shoulders slightly hunched. "The whole time I was wandering the streets of Brooklyn, I thought that God made a mistake sending me back in time. I didn't have any idea what I was supposed to do. So I spent a month just wandering like a hobo. The day I met that little boy… Meeting Bucky changed everything…" She paused and took a breath.

"When I learned the truth of where I was, I found a purpose. I know all these things about the future. So far in the future that I'll probably die before I see anything happen." She straightened then, "I might be here because I need the time. I went looking for you because I think you're the one person who can help me. You're my best chance at preparing."

The Ancient One tilted her head in curiosity. "Preparing for what?"

Renny did her best to match the intensity of the woman's gaze, her own having the fire of determination.

"The future."

* * *

The Ancient one was not sure what to make of the girl who knocked at the door of the New York sanctum. However, she recognized the fire in the little one's eyes, her sense of purpose, the urge to protect and the sincerity of her words. Though the Sorcerer Supreme did not fully believe the girl's story, she sensed her potential.

Which is why the Ancient One decided to train Renny. She would be one of the youngest to start.

That was how she got her first proof of the girl's story.

The little one had an affinity for magic that was almost unnatural… rather, it was _too_ natural. She immediately grasped the use of the sling ring to open portals, which often took even the best novice a few tries.

When it came to spells- harnessing the power from other dimensions to make magic… It was apparent that she drew in too much power. Like a river without a dam, it rushed through her without any control. The girl's magic, unlike spells that produced golden sparks, was white- a combination of all the colors.

Renny's first spell almost killed her and the backlash injured several other novices and the instructor in her class.

When the Ancient One assessed the state of the girl, she was surprised to discover how easily _any_ extra-dimensional power flowed through her. Even she as the Sorcerer Supreme had to exert conscious effort, however minimal, to pull power from other worlds. The little one attracted power to her, even unconscious.

This was why the Ancient One had searched through the artifacts and relics within the sanctums and Kamar Taj to find something to help the girl control the flow.

One week later, Renny had woken up in her assigned room with a pair of wide bronze bangles on her arms.

"I am glad to see you are awake." The Ancient One looked at her kindly, though her smile was a bit grim.

Renny sat up with some difficulty, feeling sore. "What happened?" She croaked, worry growing in her chest when she saw the woman's expression.

"Magical backlash. You nearly killed yourself and hurt several others."

"How?" The girl asked, scared and bewildered. "It was just my first try. I shouldn't have been able to use that much power… And I was perfectly fine with making portals with a sling ring, what was different?"

The Ancient One sighed, nodding at the other robed figure in the room. When the other person left, she turned back to the girl.

"I did not truly believe you at first… but… this incident may have helped to prove that you did come from another world."

Renny opened her mouth to say something, but the woman continued.

"You said that you are not sure how you were pulled into this one."

"No..."

"I believe that however you came to be here exposed you to energies of numerous other worlds. That exposure altered your body's magical pathways to let them flow through you easily. This means that you also unconsciously pull in these energies to yourself. Like a river without a dam, your body has no barriers."

"Is that what this is for?" Renny ran her fingers over the wide metal bands over her forearms.

"Yes. An artifact of Kamar Taj, the Vambraces of Vishanti. I believe this answers your previous question. When conjuring portals, the use of the sling ring helps to control and focus your magic for the one, specific purpose of conjuring a gateway. However, when it came to trying your first spell, you only had your body as a medium. You did not have any magical tool or artifact to assist you."

Renny nodded, getting the gist of it. The Ancient One continued.

"These vambraces block any and all magical energy from entering your body. Unfortunately, its potency can only be adjusted by the user. You will need to learn to modulate the energies you pull to you yourself. It will be tedious, but you must find a way."

"It's that bad?" The girl gulped.

The Ancient One nodded solemnly. "You either learn and someday even part from the artifact, or you don't use magic at all and cut yourself off from any mystical energy, lest it slowly kill you."

The woman sighed and stepped closer to the girl's bed. "That much power, allowing it to flow in your body without modulation- the magical buildup within you will heal any injuries you obtain. It will most likely keep you from getting ill as well… However, it will make your body weak."

Renny blinked, thinking about the time she spent on the streets. Even when she had experienced a night of bone chilling cold, or gotten soaked by the rain, she never got sick. But… there were times when she felt like she had no energy at all, or slept so long and so deeply but still felt somewhat tired afterwards.

"The use of the artifact will at least give your body moments of respite from these energies. I am not sure… but depending on the way you find to control it, it can either mean a shortened lifespan, or a lengthened one." The Ancient One intoned, pausing for a moment before she asked, "While you are still learning however, you will increase the possibility of more incidents like this. It may kill you. Will you continue on your quest to master magic?"

The girl remained quiet, and looked down at the grooves of the vambraces on her arm. "Yes." Renny chuckled forlornly before again looking at the Ancient One, "When can I get back to training?"

Spirit. This girl definitely had spirit.

"Tomorrow. If you feel you are up to it."

Renny nodded firmly, a determined, yet somewhat grim smile on her face.

* * *

So Renny continued her training in Kamar-Taj. She exercised her body practicing her martial arts with the other students, but when it came to the mystic arts, the Ancient one would take her on.

The woman would let the girl practice only in the mirror dimension, where any backlash would not hurt others, except maybe, the girl herself. However, because the Sorcerer Supreme was such a prominent figure, she could not let Renny monopolize her time, no matter how much the woman wanted to help. So their one-on-one sessions were a bit limited. More often than not, Renny found herself alone in an isolated courtyard when a master was not free to offer their guidance in place of the Ancient One herself.

Renny's first few years in Tibet were the hardest. Learning to control the Vambraces of Vishanti was taxing on her body. Her first months were spent in and out of the infirmary, with days, even weeks unconscious, depending on the extent of another incident of magical backlash. It was only after ten months of tedious training that she gained control of the artifact enough to allow a trickle of extra-dimensional energy in without completely deactivating the artifact or letting too much magic in that would cause herself harm. She could perform spells now, though her range was very much limited.

She still grew tired easily, though not as much as before, so she spent her down time in the library, scouring for the spells she would need for her plan.

When her control on the vambraces grew strong enough, she discovered she could now access the astral dimension. Using a trick she learned from Dr. Strange, she studied in her astral form while her body rested.

* * *

"You are advancing much in your studies, little one. And your grasp on the mystical arts continues to improve slowly but surely." The Ancient One said calmly as the two sipped tea in the receiving room of Kamar-Taj.

"I'm not such a little one anymore." Renny chuckled, running a hand through her much longer hair, before sighing. "I've really learned a lot here, and I thank you, but I've only found clues to what I need."

The woman looked at her curiously. "Oh? You've read through almost every book in the library."

"Not every book…" Renny answered softly. The woman looked at her slyly, and the girl knew that the Sorcerer Supreme knew what she was looking for. "The Book of Vishanti."

The Ancient One looked at Renny sternly, placing down her cup of tea.

"I know it's a big request. But I think it might have the answers I need. The spells I need." Renny tried.

"The book has been passed down among the Sorcerers Supreme throughout the ages. What makes you think that I will allow you to simply browse it? In the years that you have spent as a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, you have proven your loyalty and your desire to protect this world… but you have never told me of your plans in depth. Do not think I am ignorant to the time you've spent in the mirror dimension experimenting with runes and trying to create your own spellwork in secret."

Renny fidgeted, a little cowed by the Ancient One's tone. That was true… She'd never told anyone of her plans because the thought of someone finding out what she knew...

But… she looked at the woman sitting in front of her. The Ancient One had trusted her and helped her every step of the way. Gifting her with the Vambraces of Vishanti, granting her asylum in Kamar-Taj and training in the mystic arts.

"You are afraid…" The woman stated plainly.

"Yes." The girl whispered and took a deep breath… If she couldn't trust the Ancient One, who could she trust? She could not do this alone. "If I show you what I know, at least part of it… If I can convince you… Will you help me?"

The Sorcerer Supreme looked to be deep in thought. The weight of knowing anything about the future was always burdensome. The girl was also terrified of letting anyone else know of her knowledge. Whatever she saw… it would burden her as well.

"Very well…" The woman conceded. "Know however, that if I sense that anything is amiss, if I find out that you are lying, you will never ask about the book again."

Renny gulped. "Agreed."

* * *

After that… After she'd shown the Ancient One a glimpse of the future. Of the coming titan… The Sorcerer Supreme disappeared for several days.

That had terrified Renny more than anything. Had she unintentionally turned away the only person who could possibly help her?

She panicked when the Ancient One didn't return two days later. The whirl of her emotions made her control slip and she was useless with spells. To stave the feeling of helplessness, she pored her time going over the books in the library again. Maybe she had missed something…

It was on the eighth day when she jolted awake on a library desk that she turned to see the Ancient One looking at her, a hand on her shoulder. Renny didn't know what to say. She wanted to apologize, but the woman spoke before she could.

"You showed me barely a glimpse of your knowledge, and already it has proved a burden on my mind. I can only imagine what weight you must feel crushing your shoulders." The woman's eyes seemed tired, but she showed no other outward indication. She sighed, standing straighter, pulling her shoulders back and talking with the authority and power that Renny was used to hearing.

"I will give you access to the Book, but only under my supervision. It will not leave the library. Whatever notes you make, you can store them only in your mind. None of it will be written down." Renny could only nod while sparks revealed a hidden doorway in the wall. As she followed after the Ancient One's trailing robes, she prayed that her memory and her grasp of the mystic arts were good enough to master the spells that she needed. She was no Stephen Strange, after all. She didn't have his incredible intelligence or his photographic memory.

Access to the Book of Vishanti did give Renny the spells she needed, however, she still needed to learn them properly. Not being able to take down notes made things incredibly slow going. Yes, she could practice as much as she wanted on her own, but she could only correct herself if something went wrong when the Sorcerer Supreme did, or when she had the chance to look through the book again.

It took several more months for her to perfect the spell, and a few more to modify it for her specific use.

All in all, she had spent almost seven years in Kamar-Taj before she requested her leave.

The Ancient One nodded, putting her hands once more on Renny's shoulders.

"You will need to search for a proper place to construct your sanctum. In this endeavor, I cannot help you. My place is here, in Kamar-Taj." The woman then turned and looked out to the horizon where the sun was just beginning to rise.

"Thank you." Renny's voice shook. The Ancient One was more than a teacher to her. In a world where she had lost everything and everyone she knew, the woman had become a sort of grandmother to her. "I would never have been able to get this far without you. God knows, I would have probably died some time ago if you didn't help me." The girl's smile was watery, but she dared not turn to the Sorcerer Supreme, only keeping her eyes forward as well.

"You are most welcome. I thank you as well for what warnings you were able to give. There will be many dark times to come, but knowing that you will be doing what you can to protect those who will stop it, it brings me peace." The woman let out a slow breath, Renny thought it was meant more to calm her than the Ancient One. "You have come far, but there is still so much further to go… so much to do, and you may not even see the end. Take care, little one." The woman's pale eyes flicked to the girl for a moment before tracing the mountain range again. "Kamar-Taj will always be open to you. Just so you know… Try to visit at least once… before the end."

Renny choked on a sob, and felt the tears gather at the corners of her eyes, ready to spill. She didn't have the heart to even comment on the nickname this time. "Of course I will…" She managed to whisper hoarsely before moving to unclasp the vambraces on her arms. She'd gained enough control without the artifacts over the years, even if her spells were incredibly taxing without them, she would manage with some difficulty.

"Keep them." The Sorcerer Supreme said simply. "You are aware, they would have never worked if they did not choose you in the first place. They are yours. To help you in your quest."

A quick nod, and Renny conjured a portal to New York and stepped through before her tears could slip down her face. She knew that a moment longer standing beside the woman who she considered a grandmother, she might not build the courage to leave again for a long time. The girl could not stop herself from looking back though.

The smile on the Ancient One's thin lips was wistful. When the portal dissipated a second later, Renny collapsed onto her knees and sobbed, letting her tears flow.

She couldn't deny the feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her that that was the last time she and the Sorcerer Supreme saw each other.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So what do you guys think? (The new readers anyway XD) I would love to know if you guys have any comments, suggestions, or constructive criticisms. Also, if you have any questions about the story, feel free to PM me. :D**_

 _ **The new content starts next chapter, so look forward to that.**_

 _ **'Til next time**_


	3. Purpose

_**A/N: New content! Read on and enjoy~**_

* * *

 **Purpose**

* * *

The space was small and a little drafty at times, but it would do. Renny had to move around a few different crates and boxes until she had a nice nook to herself.

She settled above a small grocer's shop. Because the space was rarely visited by the owner, or anyone else for that matter, she felt it was safe for her to store her belongings in one of the crates.

Notes on runes and spells. Her research and tailored incantations. Then there were the books… books she filled with what she could remember of the prominent people and happenings of the world she was now in. Of course she didn't start recording until she learned to effectively make seals that prevented anyone other than her from opening them. They were set to combust if someone else tried.

Renny sighed heavily, looking at the blank page in front of her. It had been some time since she left Kamar-Taj. She had been wandering again. Her plan had been to learn what she could of the mystic arts, then use her knowledge and skills that she gained to make an archive when she left Tibet.

Her days had been spent scouting for a good location, but so far, no place struck her as safe enough to hold records of her "future knowledge" of the Marvel universe.

Other than that, she'd interspersed her scouting trips with time devoted to scouring her mind for any details or important events she could add to her records. She flopped down onto her back. It was mid-afternoon. Too early to return to just lying in her attic space and too late to go scouting further out. It looked like she'd squeezed everything she could from what she could remember.

Renny admitted to herself that she had fallen into another rut. She couldn't work on the archives she planned on building and she hadn't really thought of what else she could be doing when she left Kamar-Taj aside from preserving her knowledge.

She was starting to feel like she did when she first arrived in the 1920's of the Marvel universe eight years ago.

Purposeless.

The archives couldn't be the only-

A grunt and the clang of metal made her sit up and look toward the source of the sound.

"Just give it up, pipsqueak."

She followed the echoing of raucous laughs to the edge of the building she had been sitting on. A group of guys were surrounding a boy who was slumped against a few trash cans.

The scrawny kid was standing up. He was a little hunched, but the scrapper had his fists raised.

 _Wait…_

 _That blonde hair…_

It took a moment for Renny to recognize his face.

That was Steve!

Anger pooled in her gut and she instinctively started muttering a spell. She paused when the energy burned slightly at her fingertips, realizing she'd almost hit the bullies with a flashy stunning spell.

Renny had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from letting out a sound when she had to curl her fingers and direct the magic back into her vambraces. The process stung a good bit, but discretion was important here. Releasing the magic to let it dissipate in the air on its own would have caused a bit of a light show. She didn't want to be revealed.

She muttered a different spell when she spotted an old bucket on the opposite building. It was filled with water from yesterday's rain.

It followed her arm movements as it lifted and threw its contents over the side of the building, right onto the bullies who yelped at the impromptu shower.

"Dang rowdy kids! Don't make me come down there!" Some old guy in the building Renny was on opened up a window and shouted. She heard the bullies run off and Steve letting out a slow breath.

The old man grunted and shut his window. Renny frowned. The geezer didn't even ask Steve if he was alright.

Casting a minor disillusionment spell on herself, she peeked over the side of the roof, into the alley.

Steve was looking up too. Though presumably at the window that just shut. Then, the blond glanced at the two rooftops and at the ground with a confused look on his face. Still trying to make sense of what just happened, he brushed himself off and tried to adjust his shirt and jacket.

He couldn't see it, but Renny had an apologetic look on her face. Her feet stayed glued to the roof even if her heart was telling her to go down there and check on him. The young woman had to be satisfied that she didn't see any blood.

* * *

As Steve began to trudge out of the alley, Bucky appeared.

"A bunch of hooligans ran past me grumbling about how they didn't get to do in some pipsqueak… Why is it always you?" The dark haired young man was concerned for his friend.

"I'm fine, Buck." Steve said bravely, doing his best to stand straight without wincing too much.

"Looks like you are. This time anyway." Bucky said, inspecting the blond. "What did you do? Those guys were drenched." He chuckled a bit.

"Some old guy dumped water on them." Steve said after a few moments of contemplation. He swore something glinted from the rooftop just before the water got thrown out. He didn't see the old guy holding a bucket or something when he looked up.

 _Maybe I just didn't see it?... But the splash came from the opposite building…_

"Well thanks to gramps, you're okay." Bucky nodded and gave Steve a grin. "Wanna go for hotdogs? We both skipped lunch because were late for class."

"Sure thing, Buck." The blond returned the smile, pushing back the riddle of the bucket to the back of his mind. "I'm starved."

* * *

Renny followed them from the rooftops, then from a distance on the streets for the rest of the day until they both got home. They stopped over at Steve's place before Bucky continued home alone.

When the door to his home shut, the young woman let out a relieved sigh.

Good. They were both safe. The sun set about an hour ago.

She smiled and started walking to her own makeshift home. She didn't get too far when she spied a street corner that seemed familiar somehow. She walked towards it and stopped by a small shaded niche.

 _Bright, hopeful orbs and an umbrella…_

This was where she first met Bucky around eight years ago.

She'd accepted that she would probably die back then as she sat cold and wet on the concrete… Really, she had been alright with it. But little boy Bucky had given her motivation.

When she realized fiction had become her reality and she could offer something invaluable that no one else had.

Detailed knowledge of the future.

She grinned.

It looked like she had a purpose again. Her presence would have surely affected something and made subtle shifts in the timeline. She would make sure that things went as they were supposed to.

She was going to be the boys' protector while they grew into the men they were meant to be.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Like I said... the chapters for this story will mostly much shorter than my GTKS chapters. Would you rather they're cut like this, or multiple plots put into one chapter instead?**_

 _ **Comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism are always welcome. What do you guys think? Leave your thoughts in a review, I'd love to know your thoughts.**_

 _ **'Til next time**_


	4. Spectre

**Spectre**

* * *

Bucky spent much more time out than Steve did. Well… Renny guessed that was because he was such a ladies man.

So on the days that Steve went home early and Barnes had a date, she tagged along. In the shadows, of course.

After the third outing, the young woman asked herself why she even bothered. Bucky wasn't the type who got into trouble. Steve was the trouble magnet.

The dark haired young man had a usual haunt. A place that served cheap snacks and had a wide dance floor.

Renny had to admit, she followed Bucky more for herself than anything. While she loved Steve to bits and was very protective of him, she would go stir crazy always staying by him when he stayed home or in the library. She had a quiet life during the years she spent in Kamar-Taj, with every spare moment spent in the library, studying, researching, and training. Going out with Bucky, even if she wasn't really going out _with_ him, was beyond refreshing.

The lively music, the sound of people chatting with each other, and the dancing… Oh! The dancing!

She loved watching the people of this time twirl, step, and skip. It brought a smile to her face. If she was feeling particularly isolated that day, she used magic to change her robes and boots to an appropriate looking 20's dress and shoes, stepped out of the mirror dimension, and sat at a table the edge of the dance floor.

It felt good to be a part of the world around her… sort of.

Renny didn't have to worry much about being asked to dance thanks to a simple spell that made most people overlook her. If someone did notice her and ask her for a dance, and it rarely happened anyway, she'd smile and politely decline.

A simple "No, thank you" was enough for most, but on the even rarer occasion that a man was a little too insistent, it only took a compulsion charm to direct their attentions somewhere else.

Plus, the young woman didn't think she could keep up with the dynamic steps of a swing dance.

Going along with Bucky was a double edged sword though. The change of pace kept her from getting stir crazy, yes, but seeing friends laugh and couples dance made her yearn for companionship.

It was difficult, being a shadow.

It was too quiet.

It was lonely.

But she was convinced that it was the kind of life she had to live if she wanted to keep the timeline intact.

Her charge would leave with his date, walk her home, then walk his own way. The night would have already settled in. Bucky was a YMCA boxing champ, so he could handle himself… to an extent.

One night, as the young man was walking home, a shadow tailed him on the streets.

And it wasn't Renny.

* * *

She followed silently from the rooftops. When she spotted the distinct shape of a knife in the shadow's pocket, she moved.

Bucky noticed that he was being followed. He heard the heavy footsteps of the thug that was walking behind him.

His fists curled in his jacket pockets, ready to take the guy on if he made a move. After walking a block though…

When he looked over his shoulder, the man was gone.

Bucky raised an eyebrow and continued on his way. He didn't hear any more footsteps following him anymore.

If would-be thieves with knives tailed Bucky on his trek home, she intervened. If the thugs only had their fists, Renny observed. Keeping her charge completely safe would make him complacent after all. That wasn't something she wanted. Being alert and aware of your surroundings was an important trait to have if you were going to be a soldier fighting in a war.

* * *

Almost a year passed in this way, with Renny shadowing the boys to school, around town, at night, during dates and double dates.

The young woman didn't realize just how often the two actually spotted her when she appeared like a fairytale- in a blur, shimmer, or flash of sparks.

It was her bronze bangles that became her trademark.

Steve associated the growing familiar glint of them, the glimpse of her grey eyes, or her coppery brown hair peeking from her hood to mean that help was on the way if he was being bullied. Renny would lead Bucky to the blond if the dark haired young man was near enough or some other adult to chase away the bullies. When she couldn't (which was a little more often than she liked), simple spells made strange things happen to drive them away. Her favorite trick was dumping water on them.

Bullies were like cats in that aspect. They would jump up during the first and run at a second splash of water. Renny didn't realize she was over-using this tactic though, Steve noticed that it happened a little too often to be luck.

During nights late out, Bucky first noticed how sometimes, shadows trailing him would suddenly disappear or ominous sounding footsteps would go quiet. He paid a little more attention after the first few times, catching a glimpse of something metallic, and it wasn't a knife.

The two soon worked out that they were being followed by something or… someone. They both came to the conclusion that for whatever reason, whoever or whatever it was, didn't want to hurt them. Only keep them safe.

It took a few months before they encountered the specter often enough to come up with the image of a girl underneath the hood.

They didn't know that they were both seeing the same girl though.

When one friend caught the other glancing around, they'd make excuses. Bucky was smooth while Steve sputtered a bit.

"What you lookin' at, Buck?"

"Just admiring the sunshine, punk."

Or…

"Dame finally catch your eye, Stevie?"

"Well, I don't think they were looking at me, jerk."

That and many other variations.

Sometimes, it seemed like they were looking for the same thing because they'd catch each other looking in the same direction.

After a while, it happened enough that they started suspecting they were seeing the same girl and that said girl was probably not some figment of their imagination.

They each wanted to ask their best friend about it, but the part of their brains that was still saying they were going crazy was holding them back.

Until today…

Steve filled up another sketchpad today and was starting on a new one. Bucky had seen the blue spiral bound book sitting on a side table in the living room.

About half way through the pad, Bucky saw something familiar. A sketch of a half hidden face he thought only he saw. There were varied sketches of a young woman who looked around twenty. Some features were vague and shadowed at first, but as he went along, they became more defined. But it was her eyes that stayed the same. Striking, determined, with a kindness and a knowing glint that showed even from the shadows of her hood.

Keeping his tone casual, he asked, "You've seen this dame around town, Steve?" Maybe he wasn't crazy, and the girl he kept seeing at the edge of his line of sight was an actual girl somewhere around Brooklyn.

Steve perked up from his current sketch and looked at the portrait that Bucky was holding up. "Uhhhhh…"

 _Yeah, she shows up when I'm in a bit of a situation with bullies, then disappears before I can even say thank you._

The blond scratched at the back of his head. "Not really. I just made her up." He winced… that wasn't true. He saw her _way_ too often for it to be some kind of trick. "I think…" He added belatedly.

Bucky raised his brows at his friend's hesitation. He decided to hell with it and just ask and hope he wasn't being ridiculous. "Does she wear these wide bracelets on her arms?"

Steve's eyes widened and he gestured to his forearms, "Like bronze bangles?"

The notion that it was the same girl looked like it was becoming more fact than just a guess.

"Brown hair?" Bucky continued hopefully.

"Grey eyes?" Steve nodded.

"Well… I always thought they were a little more blue at times." Bucky chuckled.

"Gosh… I thought I was going crazy!" Steve breathed.

The dark haired young man wrapped an arm around his friend. "You and me both, buddy."

Bucky ran a hand through his hair while Steve scrubbed a hand over his face. Both practically sagging with relief.

* * *

 **A/N: Any scenes that you're looking for? I'm open to suggestions. Thoughts on the story?**

 **I actually already have several chapters for this story written, I just need to retype them, which I'll do on breaks between working on my thesis, so updates will not be very regular.**


	5. Encounter

**Encounter**

* * *

Maybe it was because they acknowledged that the girl was real that they started seeing her more often.

It was easier now that they knew what they were searching for and they didn't tell themselves they were imagining things.

One day weeks later, in a class, Bucky nudged Steve under the table. The blond threw his friend a look, but the other young man looked excited. He gestured with a slight head movement, his eyes flicking to the side.

Subtly, so as not to catch the attention of the instructor giving a lecture in front, Steve looked to once corner and took a few moments to see what Bucky was trying to point out.

There, between a few other students, Steve could see their guardian angel, listening intently to what their professor was saying.

* * *

Renny actually enjoyed this lecture. It was fun when what was history to her was current news to everyone else.

She was listening intently when she felt eyes on her. Sitting a little straighter in her chair, she cast a survey spell over the room. It echoed back to her and she couldn't sense any ill intent.

But someone was _intent_ on her…

 _On the left…_

She turned her head slightly and nearly jumped up when she spotted the two young men she had been tailing throwing subtle smiles at her. Bucky even wiggled his fingers a bit in a cheeky wave.

Immediately, she opened a portal on the floor and she slipped out of the room, landing outside the classroom on the campus lawn.

* * *

"You saw her, right?"

"Yeah, I did."

"Uh-huh. The way she flinched-"

A piece of chalk sailed through the small space between the two. "Rogers! Barnes!" Their professor was red faced. "Perhaps you'd like to share your thoughts on the issue we were discussing?"

From outside, Renny peeked through the glass and couldn't help but laugh silently. The two were made to stand up in their seats and face the class while they voiced their opinions. With how they sputtered, it was obvious that they were not listening to the lecture at all.

* * *

Still, Renny kept her distance. Watching the young men and helping them where she could.

She saw Sarah Rogers. She was a sweet woman. Sarah loved Steve and took care of him as best she could. Renny felt for the woman who worked as a nurse in the TB ward. She worked so hard at the hospital and saw a lot of patients get sick and not shake it. It made her constantly worry about her sickly son.

So the magic user did what she could to help Steve. When he got sick, a few minor healing spells helped to nudge him on his road to recovery. Nothing too drastic though, because Sarah would notice. She was a nurse after all. Renny also stood vigil outside Steve's room when he had a fever or a bad case of the cold and Sarah had to work longer. Especially when Bucky couldn't stay to watch Steve.

Her dedication and empathy was wearing on her mindfulness of being stealthy though. The magic user thought she was doing well until one time she was camping out in Steve's room instead of staying outside. It was because of a particularly bad night.

"Ah… Steve." She ran a towel over his forehead. The slight young man was shaking in under his sheets. "Stay strong."

How did Sarah even do it?

She was pulling up another blanket over him and cast a simple warming charm to try and ease the tremors.

"An angel."

Renny jumped back a bit, even if the statement was quiet. How did she not even hear Sarah coming home? The woman was standing at the doorway to Steve's room. She smiled at the young woman who stood frozen by Steve's bed.

Renny wasn't sure what to do. She didn't want to give the woman a heart attack. The lady was probably already exhausted from her shift at the hospital... But she really wasn't supposed to be seen...

"I always knew that God was watching over my boy." The woman said, tears in her eyes. "Sometimes, I just don't know if I can keep doing it on my own. Thank you… for taking care of him, too." She stepped forward and ran a hand over Steve's blond head lovingly.

The young man stirred on his mattress.

"I'm glad that Steve has a guardian angel." Sarah looked earnestly at the magic user.

Renny just nodded. Slowly backing away, she stepped back into a portal and disappeared.

* * *

That was the only interaction she had with Sarah Rogers.

It was a week later that she died.

Steve did his best to be strong, but behind closed doors, he cried hard.

The nights he stayed up for vigil were hard on his body. The lack of sleep made his heart palpitate and made him feel dizzy, but he pushed himself to stay awake. He felt it was the least he could do for his mother.

The night after the funeral, Steve gave in to his exhaustion. Renny was glad that Bucky was with him. They were both tired. The dark haired young man had also stayed up with his friend after all. Especially when the blond refused the offer to stay at Bucky's place.

The two fell asleep in the living room of Steve's apartment.

It was a chilly October night.

Making sure the two were sound asleep, Renny quietly portalled into the apartment. The lights were mostly off, except a lamp in the living room which had gone out a few minutes ago.

Feeling the chill start to permeate the air, she carefully draped warm blankets over Steve and Bucky. Steve still shivered in his sleep.

She couldn't blame the blond for missing his bills. The heat was out for now.

"Silly boys…" She muttered, before casting a spell over the living room to make it warm. Again, she tucked the blankets close to the two young men's chins, smiling fondly. "You're lucky you two have each other."

After a moment of just looking at them, she walked around the apartment and made sure all the windows were locked.

Her spell needed her energy to keep the living room cozy, so she had to stay until the morning. Dragging herself to the kitchen, she extended the range of her spell, listing the things she had to train.

 _Long term spells._

 _Remote activation._

 _Latent magic._

Using longer term spells still drained her even with her vambraces helping to control the flow of her magic better. It would probably be something she would have to deal with no matter how hard or long she trained.

She sat down at the chair by the dining table, leaning her head on her arms. She closed her eyes, feeling the steady trickle of her magic. All she needed was a little rest. Just a little. She'd be gone before the sun even rose.

* * *

"Oh gosh! It's _her_ Buck! Wow… It's _really her_ …"

" _Shhh, Steve_. You'll wake her. Maybe I should bring her to your room? That doesn't look comfortable…"

In the back of Renny's mind, she agreed. Her neck felt a bit stiff. She heard the sound of footsteps before someone spoke again.

"My room's _freezing_. It's weird, only the living room and the kitchen are warm. I think the heat went out."

She used a warming charm last night, right?

"How can it be warm _here_ then? Think she did it?"

Renny felt herself being lifted into the air, but felt too exhausted to open her eyes and see what was going on. Her new position felt more comfortable and was nice and soft anyway. She buried her nose into her pillow and snuggled closer to the warmth.

"Oh, okay… wow…" The deep voice sounded close to her ear. "The dame's really warm."

"Like a _fever_?" The other voice sounded concerned.

"No, she looks fine. She's just… _really_ warm." The hold on her shifted slightly and she snuggled further into her pillow. "Ow! Hey!"

" _Bucky_!"

Renny's eyes fluttered, somewhat annoyed with the disturbance of her much needed sleep. When she stretched and huffed, her feet were slowly and gently set on the ground. When her eyes finally opened and her vision cleared from the fog of sleep, she was met with the sight of the two young men she had been watching for the past year. They both stood with their hands up.

Steve almost looked as scared as he was cautious, like a deer caught in headlights. Meanwhile Bucky tried his best to look at ease and assuring, a hesitant smile on his face. She tilted her head as she looked at them. Her mind was a bit slow this morning.

"Uhmmm…" Steve was at a loss for words.

Bucky said the first thing that came to mind. "Uh… Morning, Sunshine?"

Suddenly, it occurred to her that they were looking right at her… that they were _talking_ to her… That wasn't exactly part of the plan.

With a small squeak, she stepped back through a portal to the fire escape outside and snapped it shut the moment she was through.

"Wait!"

"Please!"

She heard the two boys scuffle inside.

"You scared her off!"

" _I_ scared her off?!"

"You didn't have to whack me on the _dang_ head!"

"Language!"

* * *

"Well that proved for sure that we're not crazy…"

"Yeah…"

Bucky and Steve agreed as they both lay on the floor of Steve's apartment after their little tussle over their argument.

"Do you think she'll come back?"

"Now that she knows we've really seen her?" Bucky shrugged. "I don't know Steve. But if she's stuck with us this long… maybe. It's nice knowing we have a guardian angel watching our backs."

"Guardian angel, huh? Think that will help me enlist?" Steve smiled at his best friend.

Bucky chuckled, nudging Steve's arm with his elbow. "Let's go to Goldie's gym for a week or two. That'll help you enlist."

* * *

Renny had to portal away. She couldn't help but laugh, but she stopped herself. She had to keep a hand over her mouth for a moment to compose herself.

 _God dammit_ … She mentally slapped herself.

She couldn't believe she let her guard down like that. She'd dealt with the loneliness of her self-appointed responsibility and it took just one night. She admitted she stayed up late just to keep an eye on Steve while he mourned, she wanted to keep him company when Bucky had to go home. It didn't matter that the blond didn't see her.

Renny was just plain exhausted from her vigil and fell asleep in the kitchen without even knowing. What happened to leaving before the sun rose?!

"Stupid…"

They knew for sure now. They knew she was there.

She shook her head and scrubbed her hands over her face. This didn't change anything. She would still watch over Steve and Bucky as she had before her mistake.

* * *

 **A/N: Thoughts? ((The later part is a slightly expanded version of the same scene in GTKS. No major changes, so no worries.))**


	6. Connection

**Connection**

* * *

Steve and Bucky looked for her now. When they walked around town and they spotted her for a split second before she cast a disillusionment charm on herself, they'd smile or wave at where she was standing.

When she helped Steve out with bullies and something strange happened to run them off or someone miraculously found them, the blond would call out a thank you.

Bucky would look around and give a mock salute when she lead him to Steve.

It was getting to her. The little greetings and acknowledgments that she existed were getting to her.

It was winter when one simple gesture finally cracked her resolve to stay away.

The night was cold and she sat outside Steve's fire escape, leaning on the wall while she listened to the two friends talk.

They laughed and she smiled along with them. It was nice that Steve was laughing… well chuckling, but still… It had been just over two months since his mother died.

"It's pretty cold out there, Buck."

"Think we got enough to share?"

"Could be."

Renny could practically hear the grins in their voices.

The young woman quickly portalled herself to the roof of the building when she heard their footsteps approaching the window she was sitting by.

A simple disillusionment charm later and she was peeking over the side of the building, curious what the two would do.

The window slid open and Steve stuck his head out first, looking around.

"Looks like she ain't here." He said, a little disappointed.

"Move over, punk." Bucky shoved himself through the space that was left. "Did you get fat?" He joked, pushing at Steve's shoulders.

"Jerk. Maybe _you_ got fat." The blond retaliated.

Renny couldn't help but chuff, not fully able to stifle a giggle.

As one, the young men looked up. They couldn't see her, but they could make out a slight shimmer where she was.

"Well, too bad." Bucky let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Guess we'll just have to leave this here." Steve continued. They both pulled back, disappearing from Renny's view before a hand placed a steaming mug on the metal grate. The window slid shut.

Renny stared at the mug. It didn't take long for the aroma of hot cocoa to waft up to her position.

Her eyes widened and her fingers twitched.

When was the last time she had anything chocolate?

Everyone in Kamar-Taj preferred tea.

* * *

The next day, Bucky opened the window again. It had snowed sometime last night. There had been a spot where the previous snowfall was dusted off for someone to sit. He'd noticed it when they tried looking for their guardian angel last night. The spot was covered now, like she was never there at all.

But then, the glaringly obvious sign stating the contrary was the empty mug that was sitting on the metal grate. It was untouched by the white powder and a piece of paper was under it.

 _Thanks._

The word was written on it in simple cursive.

Bucky grinned, picking up the cup and the note. "Hey, Steve! I think she liked it."

Steve sat up on the couch, rubbing his eyes with a hand and yawning. They'd laid a mattress and some pillows on the floor.

"She took it?" He was surprised. He honestly expected the cocoa to be untouched and maybe iced over where they left it.

"She did. And she left a note too." Bucky handed Steve the small paper and put the mug back in the cupboard. It was clean. It looked like she washed it.

"Well I'll be…" Steve smiled at the note.

Bucky looked through the ingredients in the kitchen. Sunshine was probably hungry. "Think she might like pancakes too?"

* * *

Bucky and Steve were reaching out to her now and she was responding.

…

Was it bad that she was responding? The conflict in her head was quieting as time went on.

She was practically a ghost for a year, having barely any meaningful interaction with other people during the time she spend watching the two because of the distance she kept between her and almost everybody else.

Even in Kamar-Taj, social interactions were mostly limited to lessons and sharing tea with some of the masters and the Ancient One. Most of the other sorcerers were at least twice her age when she started training at the age of fifteen.

She had been deprived of any real fun for years… well… the _teen_ sort of fun, anyway. Not that the masters and students of Kamar-Taj didn't know how to relax and destress with meditation and the occasional trip to the hidden springs of Tibet.

Being around the two young men who were rowdy jokers when they were together was irresistible and awakened the child in her.

She couldn't just be a shadow. She needed something more.

So when they started leaving her notes on the fires escape, it only took a moment of hesitation before she wrote down short replies with a happy smile on her face.

The next time she caught the two young men looking her way in a class, she didn't just disappear or portal away.

* * *

"I've been thinking…" Steve spoke aloud as he worked on another sketch.

"What, Steve?" Bucky looked up briefly from his own work. They were at the school library, working on an art class assignment. He glanced at his friend's drawing of a cartoonish fairy eating a stack of pancakes drizzled with syrup.

He chuckled, a bit jealous. It was a good thing the art style their teacher wanted was them to try was cartoon or caricature. If they had to make another portrait… _ugh…_ Bucky liked to think he was an alright artist, but Steve was really good.

He and his blond friend made a deal, they work on their assignment in the library for a while, and Steve would let Bucky set him up for a double date. Though he was sure the punk would put it off again for a few days.

"We've been a bit rude to our mysterious guardian angel." Steve clarified, putting down his pencil.

"How so?" Bucky raised an eyebrow. Glad that he could take a break from his sketch that wasn't really turning out the way he wanted it to.

"We haven't asked for her name."

Bucky hummed… Steve was right. How was it that they had been "talking" to her for two weeks and not asked? "That _is_ rude…" He agreed. Maybe he didn't really notice because he always called her Sunshine in his head.

"Think she'll tell us though?" The blond wondered.

"Maybe we can briber her with something. She went gaga over the pancakes when she got her hands on syrup." Well… that's what they assumed from the good amount of syrup that was missing from the bottle they left with the small stack of pancakes they once left her.

 _Sorry, got carried away,_ was what was written on the note that was tucked beside the plate.

Bucky scratched his chin. "Something sweet. Most dames like sweets."

"Like chocolate?"

"Now you're thinking!" Bucky grinned teasingly. "We can get a bar on our double date."

Steve slumped slightly in his chair. Bucky knew his friend felt nervous again.

"Don't worry, Stevie. There's a dame out there that'll look past the little guy and see that big heart of yours." Bucky clasped his friend's shoulder to assure him and tapped his sketch pad. "Who knows, Ingrid or Gemma might just fall in love with your sketches."

Steve smiled slightly. "Yeah… Sure, Buck."

* * *

 **A/N: Thoughts? This is really short, but I wanted to get something out before I get extremely busy again. Working on my thesis and I have less than a month to finish everything. Anyway, it'll be great to hear from you guys. 'Til next time~**


	7. Notes on Flowers

_**A/N: I'm baaaack. Good lord it's been so long. I've been completely immersed in working on my thesis. Good news is, I submitted my requirements and I'm just waiting on the final defense date, so I have time to post. Hopefully regularly again. Anyway, on with the story! I won't keep you.**_

* * *

 **Notes on Flowers**

* * *

Steve had gone home earlier. Bucky went to train at the gym for an upcoming YMCA boxing match.

Now, a group of the school jocks followed the blond again. They drove him into a corner by a shop, confident that Bucky was preoccupied with training and wouldn't suddenly turn the corner and give them a beating instead.

"Your little boxer buddy isn't here." The biggest figure grinned and cracked his knuckles.

A fellow with dirty blond hair spat on the ground saying, "You think you can stop us from roughing you up with your little tricks?"

Steve put his arms up. There were still times that Bangles didn't get to him soon enough during these kinds of situations. Still… it was right that he knew how to stand up for himself… or try to anyway.

The thugs beat him down to the ground and started kicking. Steve knew to protect his head.

Similar to some time before, a spray of water rained down on them, drenching the bullies, but this time, getting the small blond wet too.

The group of guys yelped and stepped back from their target for a moment.

"God damn it!" One of them cursed and shook the water from his hair.

"You should watch your language." Steve croaked, his breath gone from his lungs from the beating. He tried to look stern even when he shivered because it was cold. It didn't help that his jacket was damp.

"Pipsqueak…" The biggest of them growled, punching Steve's stomach again, making him collapse to the ground once more. Steve coughed, pushing himself to stand again, but there was no strength in his arms.

"Hey!" A voice called out.

The lead thug rolled his eyes and looked at the end of the alley. "What now?" He groaned.

A slight figure was standing there in pants, boots, and a long, thick coat. The hood was pulled up and hid their face. The most striking things about the person were the pair of light eyes that glared and the wide bronze bangles wrapped around her forearms.

"Great, another pipsqueak." Someone complained.

The figure crouched slightly, putting their arms up. The bullies just burst out laughing… and in the next moment, they weren't.

The figure landed a solid hit that knocked back Thug #1. He was holding his jaw in his hand and the hooded figure was standing between him and Steve.

"What the hell?!"

Renny ignored them. "Can you stand?" She asked Steve worriedly in her normal voice. She'd lowered it when she addressed the jocks earlier, sounding more threatening.

Shakily, Steve put his feet under himself and slowly stood. His shivering gave Renny a sense of urgency. The blond was sickly, it wouldn't be good for him-

One of the other guys stepped forward threateningly after he got over the shock of such a slight person from knocking his friend back like that.

"You shouldn't mess with things that aren't your business-"

Renny kicked her boot right into his stomach, knocking him on his ass.

"Get out of here." Renny spat, her voice low again. The two of them seemed to cower once they were hit, and they scrambled out of the alley. She took a calming breath and immediately turned back to Steve.

"Switch jackets." She said shortly, shrugging hers off and holding out a hand for the blond's.

Steve started to argue, but the young woman gestured again with her hand. "Steve." She said firmly.

Her tone made him hesitantly follow her, peeling off his damp jacket. The sharp cold of winter cut through his arms for a second, then he was immediately enveloped in warmth the next. Steve closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the comfort of the cozy coat.

The warmth was accompanied by the smell of rain... Which was a bit contradictory to the warmth.

When he opened his eyes again and looked at his savior, he couldn't help but gape a bit. This was the first time in a long while that he'd seen her up close without the hood shadowing her face. She could be pretty… but a different kind of pretty. Not by the standards of the current trends, but it was there, and it was subtle. The fact that he'd always thought of her as an angel also added something ethereal to her. Something warm and pleasant to look at.

"Stay still." Her fingers lit up and she put her palm just over Steve's chest. The blond stiffened and sputtered a bit at the contact, but the relief he felt in his aching ribs, his pounding heart and burning lungs was bliss. Slowly, he relaxed.

When the glow of her magic faded, she looked at him and nodded.

Before Renny could take even one step away, Steve muttered an "excuse me" and threw half the jacket over her. Now they were both under her coat, shoulder to shoulder.

"Sorry, but a gentleman wouldn't leave a lady without a jacket in this kind of cold." Steve smiled a little awkwardly, shuffling a bit to better drape more of the cloth over her shoulders and arms.

Renny did her best not to stare. The fangirl in her was _definitely_ still kicking and she was melting at little Steve's awkwardness and chivalry.

Seriously? Was brawn the only thing that mattered in this time? Steve was adorably handsome!

She just nodded, not trusting herself not to gush out something stupid.

Renny let out a slow breath. She hadn't been this close to either of the boys since Bucky carried her when she fell asleep in Steve's kitchen a few months back.

Something in her clicked and she muttered, "Thanks, but I'm okay."

She stealthily conjured a portal around her. Before she stepped back and disappeared again, she said sternly, "Get home."

She looked like she melted into sparks.

* * *

"Wow. Looks like you're moving up, Stevie. I'm proud of you." Bucky chuckled, holding up the deep blue coat. "Sounds like she was a regular knight in shining armor. Though I think it's the gentleman who's supposed to play the knight and lend the dame his jacket."

"Shut up, Buck." Steve was beet red and ran a hand through his hair. "I was going to give it back to her when we got back here, but she disappeared again before I could say anything." Steve scratched at the back of his neck.

"Did you get to ask for her name?" Bucky asked.

"Nah. I didn't even get to say thank you." His friend shook his head regretfully.

Hmmm… "So we gonna ask her?" Bucky tore out a piece of paper from a notebook and borrowed Steve's pencil. "It was your idea. We can put her jacket on the fire escape, too." It would be nice to put a name to the face, but really, he was honestly fine with just calling her Sunshine.

"Is that a lily?" Steve scrutinized the drawing under Bucky's scrawl.

"All I know is that it's a flower." Bucky looked at the drawing too. Lily was a pretty name.

Bucky said so in a note, and it came back with a drawing of another flower.

"You had to flirt with her in a note." Steve chuckled, a little exasperated.

Bucky shook his head, but still had a sly smile on his face. "That wasn't flirting. It was a compliment."

The blond bumped his friend, "Isn't giving a dame a compliment considered flirting, Buck?"

"Not always." Bucky grinned playfully.

* * *

"Is her name flower?" Bucky frowned in concentration, "Because that's all she's been giving as hints."

All the drawings were different.

"Well… She might mean her name is related to flowers. Like Flora or Blossom?..." Steve mused as he looked over the small pile of drawings they'd accumulated over almost a month.

"You know, I have a friend who works at the local flower shop. Maybe I can ask her." Bucky took the papers.

"Or I can just borrow a book from the library?" Steve stated plainly, but his friend was already at the door.

"You coming, punk?" Bucky shrugged on a jacket.

Steve sighed.

* * *

Bucky folded the papers so only the sketches of the flowers were showing. Steve opted to wait outside the shop when he saw that the friend Bucky was talking about was one of his failed double dates.

"Afternoon, Ariel." The dark haired young man put on a winning smile.

"Bucky!" The brunette behind the counter smiled widely.

"How's business today?" The young man asked politely.

"Oh, boring actually. Thank goodness you came to the shop." Ariel skipped around the counter to stand in front of Bucky, eyes hopeful.

"Boring? With you around? That doesn't sound right." He said, turning on a bit of the charm.

"Oh, really?" Ariel twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "I guess it's just lonely without someone to talk to." She fluttered her eyelashes.

"Then I guess I came along at the right time." Bucky leaned against the counter, grinning.

Ariel felt her pulse quicken and she put her hands behind her back so he wouldn't see her squeeze her fingers in anticipation. "How've you been? It's been a while." She asked shyly.

"Oh, you know. Class can be boring. Other than that, training at Goldie's." He shrugged nonchalantly. "You?"

"Helping out here between classes. Ma has me pulling longer shifts. I heard you have a match coming up though. Sounds exciting."

"Your ma's real lucky she has you to help her out. And the match?" Bucky waved a hand. "I've been training for it. You should come watch, it's in a week." He smiled again before continuing, "Anyway, I was hoping you could help me out-" Ariel's own smile widened, he plowed on, "I know you're an expert with these things, so I came straight to you." Bucky said, pulling out the folded notes from his pocket. He knew what her smile meant, he saw all the signs, but he and Steve were on a mission. "I bet my pal that you know what these are." He said confidently.

The brunette's smile flickered but brightened again as she reached for the drawings. She took a few moments to look through them.

"These are pretty simple, but I think I can make them out for sure." One by one she placed them on the counter. "Daylilies, sage, yarrow, asters, baby's breath and mums…"

Bucky hummed, a thoughtful look on his face. None of the names were similar in any way.

"These are all very nice flowers. Are you planning on giving them to someone?" The brunette had a sly, playful expression, but her eyes glinted with a bit of jealousy.

"Nah, nothin' like that." The young man waved off. Ariel mentally breathed a sigh of relief. "Just a puzzle me and my pal Steve are trying to solve. We can't figure out what's the same about them."

"Oh," The young woman hummed, looking at the papers gain, a little more intrigued. "Well, they all come in different colors and sizes… they have different bud types…" She tapped her chin, "The only thing common about these… is that they're all plants that last about two years or so and bloom on their own annually. Uhmmm…" She pouted after a while. "There's a word for it, but… I just don't know why, I can't remember. I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize, Ariel. That might just be it." Bucky smiled. "You're a gem, Ariel. Thank you." He stepped forward and planted a chaste kiss on the brunette's knuckles. Oh, how she blushed.

"I-I'll tell you if I remember. I can ask my mother too. Drop by tomorrow, maybe?" She looked hopeful again.

Bucky just smiled, not giving her an answer that gave any kind of commitment as he left the shop. "Thanks again."

The shop bell gave a soft ring as the door shut behind him.

"Well that took some time." Steve said, flipping through a book.

"You can't just ask a dame what you want outright, punk. You need to throw in a few compliments and a little small talk first." Bucky said in a lecturing tone.

"Sure thing, jerk. What did you find out?"

"Well, she says these flowers are pretty different. The only thing they have in common is that they last a few years and bloom annually."

"Last a few years, huh?..."

"What?-"

Steve gestured to the book he was holding. "You took so long, I actually went to the library and got back here before you got out. You know we're less than a block from it right?" The blond turned the pages of his book to a page on flower types. "A term used to refer to herbaceous flowers that last for several years." He quoted. "Apparently there are terms for how often they bloom." He showed Bucky a table with a list of different flowers. _Annual, Biennial…._ "All the drawings she gave are flowers that are listed in the perennials section."

"Perennial, huh…" The name struck a familiar chord in the back of Bucky's mind. "I have a good feeling about this guess." He grinned at his friend. "You think we can still convince her to agree to a bet if we can guess right this time?"

Steve knew the glint in Bucky's eyes. He really was a ladies man.

"Buck… _Please._ Please don't scare her off by asking her on a date." He warned his dark haired friend.

"What makes you say that's what I was going to ask for? Though that ain't a bad idea..." Bucky said playfully.

"I _know_ you, jerk." Steve replied, punching his friend's arm, "And I have to admit, she's pretty."

Bucky pretended to wince and cradle his arm. "Wow, that hurt, punk." Th comment earned him another punch on his shoulder and he laughed. "Hey! Hear me out!" With his arms up and a silly grin on his face, he continued, "I was actually going to if she'd have breakfast with us in person or go to the library with us even. You know, actually get to know the dame."

Steve considered, a thoughtful look on his face.

Yeah… that would be pretty nice.

He blinked, a thought popping into his head. "What if we're wrong though? We tell her we stop asking?" He said unsurely.

Bucky still grinned, his eyes bright. "I don't think we will be this time." He chuckled. "And I have a hunch the doll gets a kick out of us guessing."

* * *

 **A/N: I would love to know what you guys think so far. I have several chapters typed up in my phone, I just need to rewrite them. Also, is there anything in particular you guys wanna see happen in this story?I'm open to suggestions because I'm want to publish a few filler chapters of shenanigans the trio gets into before the whole Captain America thing happens. 'Til next time~**


	8. Bets

_**A/N: Another chapter for you guys~ Not much to say except that this is a filler. Just wanted to elaborate on one of their bonding moments before going on to the rest of the story.**_

* * *

 **Bets**

* * *

Renny smiled when she got another note. It was nice to hear from her boys when she spent most of the day scouting, returning to Brooklyn tired, physically and mentally, and disappointed. She still hadn't found a good place to start her archive.

"Wonder what their guess is now?" She muttered to herself, unfolding the paper that had been left on the fire escape.

 _If we guess right, wanna join us for breakfast next time we have pancakes?_

She hummed. What would she ask for? They'd been guessing for a while. They wouldn't get it yet, right?

The thought of getting to a chance to goof off with the two if she had pancakes with them was _really_ making her smile though… even if they did guess wrong…

Man… she was so _screwed…_ She much more attached to Steve and Bucky than she was supposed to be. She wasn't supposed to be attached to them at all. It scared her…

It would only make it even more difficult to turn her back on them when the time came.

Could she still do it?

Well… Some part of her said that it would be nice to make them happy while the bad times were still quite a ways away. A few more years.

She tapped the pencil she was holding, biting her lip.

She was getting way too close… but…

A nervous and worried smile slowly curved her lips. She had to admit she wanted this too. Plus… she would spend the rest of her life for her cause. Was it so bad to think of herself on occasion? She should be grabbing the small moments of happiness that she could. And… if she could share that joy, then that was even better.

 _If you guess wrong, I get all the syrup and a stack of pancakes just for me once a week for the next month._

Renny shrugged. She didn't really know what to ask for anyway.

She folded the paper and slipped it through the gap in the window before she could change her mind.

The glass served as a barrier even if she could have easily reached through it with magic.

 _'No turning back now.'_ She convinced herself and portalled away.

* * *

A soft knock sounded on the door. The two young men perked up in their seats. They both stood and headed for the entrance. It was Steve who had his hand on the knob.

Bucky gestured with his hand, half excited and half expecting for the front step to be empty.

"Come on!" He urged his friend in a whisper.

Steve nodded and swung the door open. The two friends tensed for a moment.

There, standing in dark pants, boots, and a deep blue coat with the hood up, stood their guardian angel. Grey-blue orbs looked up shyly from the shadow of her hood.

They relaxed and smiled.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Bucky said cheerily.

Steve took the more formal approach and nodded, "Ma'am."

The figure flinched a little and shuffled awkwardly.

"Okay. Don't worry, doll. No formalities." Bucky apologized, elbowing Steve lightly.

"S-sorry." Steve said, hanging his head a little.

The young woman nodded, putting up her hands. "N-no. It's-It's okay." This was the first time Bucky heard her talk. Her voice was soft and somewhat silvery. It made him smile that she trusted them enough to say something.

"Come on in. We got pancakes like we said." The blond invited, opening the door wider and stepping aside.

Bucky moved to stand by her side and offered her an arm. "Miss Perennial."

Hesitantly, the young woman lightly held his elbow. "Renny. Please." She requested timidly.

"Alright." Bucky smiled wider. "Renny it is then."

Lord… the dark-haired young man was too charming for his own good and the blond was too adorable and sweet.

* * *

The years passed with the boys, young men, coaxing her into accompanying them on small outings. Sometimes they succeeded, more times, they didn't. On the very rare occasion, she appeared on her own.

Tonight was one of the times they succeeded.

They didn't think they would. Coney Island was a crowded place. She didn't like crowds. Which is why seeing a film was a thing they could more easily talk her into.

Then again, maybe _because_ it was crowded that she agreed. No one would really pick her out of a crowd because everything would be extra lively. And… more likely because it was evening.

Renny's eyes lit up like Christmas, but she held herself back from running around like a child. Bucky and Steve could tell how eager she was though. They were barely through the entrance when she shuffled and fidgeted, one foot shifting toward one ride then stepping back and forward again toward another. She would squeeze her fingers, glance at her two companions, look around, before the cycle repeated itself again.

"Looks like we have the reins on this one, Stevie." Bucky said eagerly.

"Why don't we do the rides first this time before we eat anything." Steve said, remembering how he got sick on cotton candy.

"Why don't we start with the big one then? You up for the roller coaster, Sunshine?"

Renny bit her lip and nodded.

"Uhhhh… Can I skip this one?" Steve said, scratching the back of his neck. The thrill ride wasn't exactly on his list of things to do after what happened before. At least Bucky had someone else to go with him this time.

"You sure, Stevie? I can go one ride with Sunshine then one more with you-"

When Renny saw the nervous look in Steve's eyes, she grabbed Bucky's arm and tugged, plastering a wide grin on her face. Not that she _wasn't_ excited. She knew Bucky didn't like his best friend feeling left out even if that friend really preferred to sit this one out.

She bounced on her heels as they waited for a few minutes in line. Bucky smiled, watching her. "Is this the first time you've seen a roller coaster, Sunshine?" He chuckled.

"Went on one in Disneyland. It was bigger than this one." She said absently, her mind wandering into a faded memory. "With my cousins…"

She thought about her family every once in a while. The most when she was still wandering the streets of New York.

" _Bigger_? Really?" Bucky said disbelievingly. "You should take Steve and me there sometime then." Bucky couldn't imagine one bigger. When he saw the faraway look in her eyes, he continued carefully, "You know… You've never really mentioned your family before."

The words seemed to snap Renny back into the present because she looked at him wide-eyed for a second. "I… Well… They-"

"Next in line please. Keep it moving!" The man operating the ride said.

Renny shook her head and tugged Bucky forward again. "Come on, pancakes." They were seated in the second car.

The young woman had a small smile on her lips until the safety bar went down on their laps. Then she was reminded just what time period she was in.

She grabbed onto the bar in front of her and shuffled in her seat. The click clack of the wooden tracks made her tense up even more.

 _Oh crap…_

She thought it was a mental exclamation, but from the way Bucky was giving her a sly look, she must have said it out loud.

"Don't worry, doll."

The cars were going up an incline.

"You'll be fine. You can grab onto me if you want." She would have punched him in the shoulder for that flirty comment, but her mind was elsewhere.

The Coney Island coaster was nothing compared to the ones she had tried in her time- with loops and drops that made you lose your breath… but just as they reached the top and there was an ominous click signaling they were about to drop, the safety bar seemed loose and the incline looked so much steeper and so much further from-

" _AAAAAAAAHHHHH!_ "

The scream that forced its way through Renny's throat was high and full of panic. Bucky's yell, in comparison, was punctuated by breathless laughter. As the cars sped around a curve and towards another incline, a large, warm hand wrapped around Renny's on the metal bar. The grip was definitely reassuring. But the second drop still made the young woman feel like she was going to fly out of her seat. The wind whipping past her face suddenly felt bitingly cold. The sound of the tracks echoed almost deafeningly in her head.

At the end of it, Renny's knees were shaking and her arms were wrapped tightly around Bucky's chest, her nose burrowing into his shoulder. He had to help her out of the car and put an arm around her shoulders because she wouldn't let go of him. He guided her back to where Steve was waiting. The blond's posture tensed with worry when he saw Renny clinging to Bucky for dear life.

"Renny! Oh gosh… you look pale-" The blond was cut off when the young woman suddenly turned to snatch him into the hug with one arm.

The noise of the carnival continued loud around them, people pausing to give them a short glance before continuing on their way.

It was too noisy for the two young men to hear her barely whispered apologies, spilling over and over from her lips.

Steve carefully wrapped his own arms around the shaking girl after a few seconds. "You're alright, Bangles. You're on the ground." He looked at his friend, at a loss of what to do. He wanted to give Bucky an ear full for taking Renny on the roller coaster but now wasn't the time.

Bucky had had dates that screamed and regretted their go on the thrill ride before, but none of them had reacted this badly. He gave Renny a minute more to breathe before he squeezed her and chuckled, a bit nervously because he didn't know if this would work. "Hey, hey Sunshine. Don't tell me being in a big ol' Steve and Bucky sandwich isn't enough to cheer you up?"

The remark cut through Renny's melancholy, stirring up completely different memories.

Her face screwed up like she had eaten something sour and she barked out a laugh.

Once more, she gave the two a squeeze before finally pulling away and wiping at her eyes. "Jerk." She punched Bucky in the arm weakly, laughing breathlessly again. "That's something I did _not_ want to think about." She muttered to herself, too soft for either of them to hear. The Steve-slash-Bucky bromances of her time could be sweet, but exposure to Tumblr and the darker side of the fandom had burned some things in her head that she wished she could just unsee.

"Are you okay now, Bangles?"

One more chuff and she looked at Steve and Bucky with eyes that were moist for a different reason now. "Maybe… Let's just stuff our faces or something please?" Renny slapped at her heated cheeks, trying to knock any other inappropriate images from her head. "Where's the popcorn?"

Bucky and Steve were at a loss. They'd never seen Renny like this. She seemed like a normal, carefree young lady. She wasn't this talkative, and her hood was down. It had been blown back during the coaster ride, so they could see her facial expressions very clearly.

When Renny looked back at the two, she was met with their stares. She raised her brows and tilted her head slightly in confusion. Steve smiled and Bucky grinned.

Lights shining into her eyes from a ride close to where they were standing made her realize that her hood wasn't shadowing her face. She pulled it up, biting her lip. She pulled it as low as it would go over her eyes, feeling embarrassed and frustrated that she acted too familiar and friendly for a few moments.

"Popcorn? Please?" She said just loud enough for the two young men to hear her. Renny assumed the posture of the girl the two had been used to- soft spoken and distant.

The young men took some comfort in the familiarity but also felt a small sense of loss at the disappearance of the carefree girl that had shown herself.

"You know… You don't have to hide-" Bucky started.

Steve saw Renny shuffle awkwardly and cut his friend off. "I know where it is."

Bucky took the hint and let out a breath, "Right next to the cotton candy." He teased Steve instead.

The blond shook his head. "You're never gonna let go of that, are you?" He sighed, carrying on forward and tugging Renny along. The dark haired young man caught up to them and slung an arm around the young woman's shoulders.

"Tell you what, after we get you some popcorn, I bet I can get 'cha a prize from one of those booths." A bit of guilt was eating at him for not warning Renny properly about the roller coaster, even if she said that she'd been on a bigger one. Maybe it had been a while for her. That and bringing up her tendency to hide her face.

Wow… He really was off his game tonight.

A stuffed bear would help make it up to her.

* * *

Steve tried to avoid it, but they still ate more cotton candy than they should have, along with some hotdogs. Renny had satisfied herself with two boxes of popcorn even if it was pretty obvious that she wanted more.

She picked at what was left of her snack sparingly while they walked around the rest of Coney Island. The two avoided any more rides, not wanting a repeat of Renny's episode. Even then, there was a lot to see on Coney Island. Shows and other attractions.

"That game was rigged." Bucky sulked.

Steve elbowed his pal. "No, you just lost your touch. You paid for three rounds."

Renny smiled gently. "I think this is still nice." She traced the shape of the small chalkware prancing horse in her hands. It was mostly white with a dark mane and tail

Bucky smiled a bit, but it was sheepish. "Still…" He gave the blond a look.

"You didn't." Steve groaned.

"I don't mind walking." Renny assumed. She remembered something in the movies about Bucky blowing their train money on carnival games trying to win a teddy bear.

Bucky laughed and Steve chuckled exasperatedly.

"You know me well, Sunshine. We can hitch a ride." The dark-haired young man said optimistically.

Looks like it happened again.

"Hopefully not in the back of a freezer truck." The blond retorted.

The young woman simply smiled.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thoughts? I would really love to know what you think. Good? Bad? Hopefully, I get some feedback. Still, thank you to everyone who added this story to their favorites and alerts.**_


	9. Promises

**Promises**

* * *

"Promise you'll keep an eye on Steve while I'm away."

The look in Renny's eyes was slightly incredulous. Bucky laughed. He'd taken a chance asking her to come over to his house because he wanted to talk. When she appeared, stepping through a ring of sparks into his room, his smile was a victorious one. His mother and sister were out, so he didn't have to worry.

He'd enlisted for the army. Now he was required to go off for military training. Bucky was worried about his best friend. Steve would be on his own now. The idea didn't really sit well with the dark-haired young man.

"Don't look so down, Sunshine. You'll have the punk to worry about. You don't have to be worrying about me. I'll just be at some camp training my ass off and missing your smile."

Renny punched Bucky hard in the arm.

"Ouch!" He said, rubbing the spot she had hit. "You should consider joining up too with a hit like that." His smile widened a bit. He loved it when he could make her react. The flush that he could make out on her cheeks was pretty.

Still, he had to temper his flirting a bit. This was going to be a serious talk.

His expression turned a little somber. "Really though. Someone has to make sure Stevie doesn't forget his medicines. If he gets sick, someone needs to watch him." He sighed. "I know you do those things already but… Can you…" Bucky scratched at the back of his neck, not really knowing how to phrase what he wanted to say. "I know you're really secretive and stuff, doll, but can you stay with him? Please? Be his roommate or something."

The young woman's posture, while she was seated on the window sill, told Bucky that she was definitely mulling over his suggestion. After a few moments, she shook her head tersely.

"I'll still be around." She said vaguely.

Her shoulders drooped when Bucky turned a pleading look at her. A sigh escaped her lips, "More than I've been, I guess…" She conceded.

Trying to take advantage of her somewhat agreeable mood, Bucky spoke up again. "Steve and I are meeting up for hotdogs later." He said nonchalantly before zipping up his bag. "You know, you should really come along this time." The young man did his best not to look at her directly and fiddled with a few shirts on his bed.

Renny shrugged and walked out of the bedroom, to the living room.

"Come on, Sunshine. Please?" Bucky tried to coax. "For me?" He mock pouted.

The young woman paused.

"You're asking for a lot of favors…" She commented before she conjured a portal around herself and melted into sparks.

* * *

"You know, this isn't like you, Buck." Steve said before taking another bite of his hotdog. The blond and his best friend were on a bench by the street, close to their favorite hotdog stand.

"Hmmmm?" The dark-haired young man hummed before answering. "What're you going on about, punk?" He raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

Steve shrugged, "You've been looking around the block for the past ten minutes and you haven't noticed a single dame throwing you her hundred-watt smile."

"Not true." This time Bucky threw his own winning smile back at a pretty brunette who was looking shyly at him. She and her friend giggled. "See?" Bucky winked at the brunette. She practically swooned.

"Right…" Steve said, unconvinced, especially when he noticed that his friend's eyes were roaming again after ten seconds.

"Now… I _might_ be assuming here, but…" Steve paused for a moment for Bucky to look at him, "Do you have a crush on Bangles?" The blond asked slyly, a hint of teasing in his voice. Even if they already knew her name, the nicknames they gave her still stuck.

"Sunshine?" Bucky raised his eyebrows, shifting in his seat and looking up at the sky for a few seconds. After he settled, he faced his friend again, "Well, she's sweet and all. But I don't know if I could go for a girl who hides those eyes under a hood all the time."

Steve didn't miss the way Bucky's eyes seemed to glint at the mention of how their guardian angel tended to hide her face. He knew his pal. Bucky definitely took Renny's shyness and mystery as a challenge. If there was something Bucky enjoyed, it was a challenge.

"Of course, Buck." Steve grinned behind a hand. "Hey, look."

A familiar hooded figure sat some distance away. She looked sideways at them, perched on a half wall by a tree.

"Just in time." Bucky stood up and brushed his pants off after throwing the paper wrapping of his hotdog into a nearby bin. "Best sunset in Brooklyn is by the bay. Thought Stevie and I would show you before I have to leave tomorrow." The young man called over his shoulder.

Steve nudged his pal and shot a glance at Renny, "Give this jerk a chance. He's trying to be nice."

Bucky started walking off with a smug smile on his face, hands in his pockets. He had an air of confidence about him that said he was sure that Renny would follow without more prompting.

Steve hopped up and jogged to Bucky, a little unsure. He was surprised when he looked back. The young woman was trailing slowly a few paces behind them.

"How'd you know she'd follow this time?" Steve whispered, almost like he was afraid if Renny heard what he said, she'd change her mind. "She rarely comes along at all."

Bucky had a smug grin on his face. "That's the trick, Stevie. I saved up most of her tag-alongs for the past few weeks, so she'd come to the docks today." He stated simply, proud that his planning ahead seemed to have worked.

* * *

The sun was close to setting when they reached the docks. To be completely honest, Renny wasn't sure what all the fuss was about. Most of the view of the bay was blocked by boats.

She must have lingered by the dockside too long, because the next thing she knew, Bucky was calling to her from the top of an old two-story warehouse. Poor Steve was doubled over beside him, huffing and trying to catch his breath.

"Hey, Sunshine!" He waved at her enthusiastically. "Look, even the punk made the climb! Get up here!"

Renny looked at the two. Bucky was grinning, and Steve managed his own wave from his position.

"Come on! You'll miss it." Bucky urged.

The young woman stepped up to the building and looked up the ladder. It wasn't too high and was nowhere near a hard climb either. Something was making her hesitant again though. There were times when a voice still whispered in the back of her mind that she should have been keeping her distance… even if she broke that rule numerous times already.

"Hey… Don't tell me… even I beat ya." Steve looked from the top of the ladder and grinned playfully. He was still huffing a bit, his cheeks red.

Renny grinned. How could she ever say no to that? Nimbly, she climbed up. Halfway to the top, she could see the rest of the bay over the boats and she paused. It was pretty with the sunlight glinting off of the water.

"You haven't seen the best part yet!" Bucky was now standing over her, leaning down with a hand outstretched. She didn't need the help, but it was a nice gesture. She grabbed the young man's hand and he pulled her to her feet on the flat rooftop. He jogged over to the other edge of the building, where Steve was already standing, looking a bit better.

Bucky gently tugged Renny into the space between him and Steve, looking out over the bay.

"Wait for it," Steve said, anticipation in his tone.

"You're gonna love it." Bucky agreed.

Renny was a bit confused, but she continued watching the sun slowly set anyway. A minute later, it touched the horizon.

Colors sparkled to life as the sunlight hit the water at just the right angle, lighting up sails, glass windows bottles, and the majority of reflective surfaces on the decks of boats in the water and at the dock.

"Wow…" Renny breathed. Yes, she'd seen her share of exceedingly beautiful sunsets and sunrises in Kamar Taj, and she'd seen them around Brooklyn and the places she'd scouted. This one wasn't impossibly alluring, but there was a certain charm to it.

The fact that she was watching it with friends… yes… Bucky and Steve were her friends even if she liked to tell herself that she'd kept herself too distant to make a proper connection. The simple fact that she was beside friends made all the colors and lights sparkle a little brighter.

Steve watched his best friend steal a glance at the dame between them. She was too preoccupied to notice. Bucky probably didn't realize it yet, but he was a little sweet on Renny, and not just because they were friends.

* * *

"Looks like it's just you and me now, Bangles." Steve said as he watched the military bus drive away. Renny stood beside him, watching too.

Before the bus turned the corner, Bucky sent one last grin and wink through the window.

Renny groaned. Steve chuckled.

"Want to go to the library?" The blond asked after most of the people started leaving. "Or the park, if you want. Take a break before you have to deal with your books again."

Steve could see the contemplative look in her eyes from under her hood. It was easy when she was two inches taller than him. She nodded.

"Can I… Can I look at your drawings?" She asked timidly after a moment.

Steve smiled. Over the years they'd gotten to know her, he and Bucky had slowly gotten her to talk- from a word or two, to short phrases, to sentences here and there. Though she spoke more to Steve and preferred to gesture with Bucky. And give him somewhat exaggerated expressions from the shadow of her hood.

"Sure, Bangles." He said cheerily, happy that Renny was still sticking with him even with Bucky gone. Part of him played on his insecurities and thought the only reason a dame like her stuck around was because of his pal. That part still felt unsure of himself, thinking that the mysterious girl would disappear because she thought a little guy like him was boring. She proved that part wrong though, always showing him that she was genuinely interested in the things he did and stuff he said.

"Ma'am." He said politely, holding out his arm.

Renny sighed at the formality and mock punched him lightly in the arm. He grinned, knowing how being formal always got a rise out of her. He and his pal did it when they noticed she was being a little too contemplative or melancholic about something.

She shook her head, before a small smile tugged at her lips. She took Steve's elbow and turned them in the direction of the park. Some fresh air and sunshine would do the young man better than staying cooped up indoors most of the time.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thoughts? I would really love to know what you think. Good? Bad? Hopefully, I get some feedback. Still, thank you to everyone who added this story to their favorites and alerts.**_


	10. Better

**Better**

* * *

Like she promised Bucky, Renny _did_ show herself a little more often. She already kept an eye on Steve anyway, it was a case of just being a little more visible so Steve actually knew she was there.

Every few days, she'd switch between spending some time during the morning walking beside him when he decided to stroll around town (that was opposed to hopping rooftops or using an invisibility charm), and an hour or two in the evenings in the living room where he sketched and she read. When she sensed that Steve was ready to turn in for the day, or when it was getting a bit late, Renny would say her goodnight before she portalled away.

One night, Steve made the decision to invite the young woman to stay. When she gingerly got up from her seat on the armchair she was curled up in, he cleared his throat. "Why don't you stay over? Sleep here instead?..." Wow, that sounded like he was insinuating something. "Uhmmm… you know… I-I still have one spare room. You don't have to sleep out wherever…" Steve didn't know how to continue. He'd only asked in the first place because he noticed how tired Renny always seemed, especially for the past few months. He guessed that she wasn't getting proper sleep.

Renny shuffled on her feet while she stood in her place. She knew the only spare room Steve had in this place was Sarah's old room… his _mother's_ old room. She couldn't-

"It's the least I can do for you sticking with me." Steve shrugged.

"Steve…" Renny's gaze softened and she stepped closer to the blond. "I'm sticking with you because… because you're my friend." Renny was quiet for a moment. She'd always avoided admitting that out loud. Calling Steve or Bucky a "friend" out loud.

Even Steve seemed surprised. She'd never used the word. But her quiet actions said what she didn't. Now, hearing her actually say it made it even more real.

Renny smiled slowly, hesitantly, and continued, "With or without Bucky."

Oh, Steve already knew it. Renny made sure he understood it for a while now.

The young man grinned, "Ah geez… Buck would throw a fit if he heard that. But you should tell him too. The first part, I mean."

Renny laughed. Yes, she guessed it was only fair.

Clearing his throat again, Steve stood a little straighter, "Well then, as your friend, I insist that you stay. No use putting a good room to waste." Seeing her still present hesitance, he added, "Ma would insist too."

The young woman remembered the kind woman who always fussed over Steve. Renny'd watched the blond long enough to know just how much his mother loved him. The magic-user only met her once in person before she died.

Sighing out a long, low breath, "Low blow," she said with her shoulders sagging. Renny swore she could almost see Sarah Rogers standing with her hands on her hips, giving her the same stern look her son was giving.

Steve gave Renny a close-lipped smile, trying to hold in just how glad he was she took the offer. He really wanted to do something for her too.

When he opened the door to the old room though, it was musty. Steve scratched his neck, embarrassed. "Uh… you can take my bed for now, 'til I can air this place out and clean it up a bit."

Renny chuffed, "No. I'll clean and I'll take the couch."

Steve shook his head, "No, way. _I'll_ do it tomorrow and you can take my bed."

The young woman gave her friend a look, "No-"

So the argument went on for a few minutes until they finally settled on bringing Steve's mattress to the living room and both staying there for the night.

Renny had cleaned the room up the next day, Steve helping. The young woman could have finished the job in a flash with magic, but the work was refreshing. She promised herself she wouldn't rely completely on magic, even if it was convenient. And it was something different for her to do.

Though Steve gave her the permission to do what she wanted with the room, Renny didn't really have anything to put in it anyway except maybe her books. Which she stored in a chest sealed with multiple spells under the bed.

There were only three personal things she kept in the room, the chalkware horse Bucky gave her, one picture of the set of four from the photobooth in Coney Island, and a sketch of her with her hood down and punching Bucky in the arm. The first on the dresser table, the other two taped to the mirror. The rest of the room was bare but tidy.

If those things weren't there, Steve would have almost no indication that Renny had moved in at all and things stayed mostly the same, except when she said goodnight, she walked to the room instead of disappearing in a shower of sparks. She was usually gone in the morning by the time Steve got up and showed up later in the day. Sometimes, a plate of eggs was waiting for him, and on the rare times he did wake up to Renny still home, as indicated by her slightly open door and the lump on the bed, he'd make pancakes for her.

The house was warm. He'd never told Bucky, but before, there were times he just dreaded going back to the house he lived in. But now… It actually felt like home. It hadn't felt like that since his mother died.

It was nice. And very welcome. Maybe this is what it felt like to have a sister.

* * *

It wasn't long before a new recruitment center popped up. The war was reaching its peak and more soldiers were needed. Steve didn't hesitate to try to enlist again. He didn't tell Renny, afraid that she'd try to stop him too. He knew how she worried about him.

When he left, downhearted by the 4F that was stamped on his papers, he practically jumped when he spotted Renny leaning against the wall outside.

"Uh, Renny…" He stuffed his enlistment papers in his pocket. Like that would have helped considering he was just walking out of the recruitment center doors.

She sighed and walked to him. Steve stood a little straighter, ready for a lecture. Or whatever few words Renny had to show her disapproval. When she put her hands on his shoulders, he tensed. "You're set on this, right?"

Her words surprised him. She said them like she already knew he wouldn't stop trying no matter what she said. He gulped and straightened a bit.

"You bet I am." He said as confidently as he could.

She nodded, almost to herself. "Okay." She didn't say anything else but started walking. Steve got the impression he better follow her.

They reached the house soon enough, and Steve found her standing in the middle of the living room when he got through the front door. The couch was pushed to the wall. "We're training."

That was the last thing Steve would have thought Renny would say. But a weight was lifted from his shoulders knowing that he didn't have to hide this from his friend. He knew that on some level, Renny understood that he needed to do this. That he felt like he had no right to do anything less than any other man.

Still, he hesitated. He remembered the times he had actually seen Renny kick a man taller and bulkier than she was into a wall or give a good punch that had someone see stars. There was no doubt that she was capable… but it still felt wrong to Steve.

"It's not gentlemanly to hit a dame."

Renny chuckled and slid off her boots, placing them at the side of the carpet. "I'm not fragile."

Steve paused, "You don't think _I_ am?" He said, surprised. He knew how everyone saw him as the little guy.

Renny shrugged. "Everyone can be better."

The young man nodded and slipped off his shoes, stepping onto the carpet. Determination filled his eyes and he put up his hands just like Bucky taught him in Goldie's gym.

She smiled and shook her head, "No fighting." She sank down to a cross legged position on the carpet. "Breathing, exercises and running."

Steve took a seat, copying Renny's posture, "And this'll help me get enlisted?" He asked, honestly curious.

She replied with something between a shrug and a nod. "Maybe."

After a pause, the blond nodded, "Thank you."

Renny gestured with a hand, "Straighten your back."

He did.

* * *

They spent mornings jogging through the park or by the bay. Then just stretches and breathing exercises. Renny wanted to help Steve as much as she could. It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on her when she followed him to a recruitment center.

 _One down._

Erskine said Steve tried five times.

There were four more visits until Steve got his approval to join the army. The ticking clock didn't seem as real as it did until now. Her time was limited.

Maybe it was the reason why she wanted to do whatever she could to help Steve overcome whatever physical obstacles he had. She didn't like seeing him so out of breath, hand on his chest and trying to calm his pounding heart when they were half way through a run. Gosh… he just wanted so bad to get better.

So even if it was a moot point, knowing that he'd get the super soldier treatment soon, Renny used minor healing and health charms every once in a while, to support his heart and lungs. She wanted him to get better too.

Even with the magical assistance, Steve struggled, pushing himself until he collapsed. Then Renny would have to help him home with an arm around his waist. Mostly she would lie on the ground beside the blond while he recovered enough to get up and make the trek back to the house.

"Stubborn." She would say either way.

"Ah.. haha… ha… But you love it, Bangles. Otherwise… I won't get better." He'd say between huffs, grinning at her.

She'd grin back.

The changes were small, but they were there. Small changes that _did_ show that he was getting better.

It took a little bit longer for him to lose his breath. He could run a little further before he gave. He could do a few more push ups. His heart didn't pound so hard in his chest when he exerted himself.

Those changes only bolstered his confidence and drive to keep trying to enlist for the army. Even then, he was still rejected.

Every time he came back from a failed attempt, Renny would be waiting outside for him so she could give him a light hug.

At first, the act had startled him and had him blushing and sputtering. Renny wasn't touchy feely. The last time she'd given him (and Bucky) a hug was so long ago… Bucky said that night she broke down at Coney Island, it might have been something related to her family, which she never really talked about.

So Steve believed that she hugged him because she was simply relieved that he actually came back. Falsifying your papers was illegal after all… It was nothing less than a miracle that he'd gotten away four times.

 _The next one._

He would tell himself. He would simply keep going. Especially because Bucky was training his ass off too and Renny was putting so much effort into helping him.

One day, he was locking the door to his place, "You going somewhere today?" He asked the air.

Renny was sitting on the rail like she had been for a while. Her bed was empty when Steve woke up and checked. She was staring at the clouds. Or so Steve thought because her head was tilted up. She nodded. "I think I found a good place."

Steve just returned the nod. Renny usually waited outside for him like this to tell him she would be away for a while. Sometimes she said how long, sometimes she didn't.

"Two days."

He and Bucky had known her for years, but the young woman never really did explain what she was doing or where she went when she was. She only said she was trying to find somewhere to keep her books.

Though… the way she talked about it sometimes, the blond deduced that she wasn't just talking about words on paper.

"Do you want to go watch a film when you get back then?" Steve asked. "It'll be nice to take a break."

Renny turned and smiled at her friend. "Maybe." Her tone said _maybe, but likely no._

"I'll even get you popcorn." Steve coaxed.

Renny shuffled in her seat. "Butter?" She whispered after a few seconds.

The blond grinned at the hopeful tone that also tinged her voice. "Sure, Bangles."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Mostly filler scenes, but they somewhat build up to what happens in The First Avenger and I guess I'm procrastinating getting to that because it'll get all serious then. Anyway, sorry for taking a while to post again. Thesis and work and family issues. Thank you to everybody who read, reviewed, and added this story to their faves and alerts. I'd love to know what you guys think, if there's anything you want to see for the trio or for the story in general.**_

 ** _Just a random thought... Steve/Renny moments would be Reeve, and Bucky/Renny moments would be Bunny. Ahahahaha... I lack sleep..._**

 ** _Oh well... til next time. Hopefully not as long a time in between updates again._**


	11. To War

_**A/N: Alright, the longest chapter I've done in quite a while for any of my stories. Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **To War**

* * *

"I should be really mad at you for even letting him go."

Renny looked out of the window. Her lips were set in a straight line and her arms were crossed. _Really?_ He'd just come back and that was going to be the first thing he said to her? She didn't regret what she did. Not at all.

Bucky sighed, "But I know Steve too." He turned to look at the door to Steve's room, they'd dropped by the blond's place so he could clean up a bit before they went out.

Renny had arrived somewhat late to the film. She had been searching the dark theater when she heard someone else coming in late. They'd mentioned a scuffle beside the building. The young woman had rushed out of the theater quickly and cut straight to the alley where she heard some kind of commotion.

The thugs had rushed out and someone was already helping Steve up when she got there. Renny's eyes had widened when she saw Bucky looking quite the picture in his uniform.

"The punk never would have dropped it. He would have gone and tried anyway without telling you." Bucky put a hand on her shoulder and she chanced a sideways glance at him.

"I can't really judge you for sort of encouraging him either. I did practically the same thing when I let him train with me at Goldie's. You've kept with him for way longer than just two weeks though. So… Thank you." He said earnestly.

Renny observed him. He looked sincere.

"Of course." She said softly after a moment. "I… I'm glad you're b-"

Steve finally stepped out of his room in a fresh shirt and pulled on his jacket. "Sorry." He apologized to his friends like waiting for a few minutes was unacceptable.

"Looking swell, Steve." Bucky clapped his hands together. "Okay! On to the future!" He grinned.

The three walked together down the road, Bucky telling what stories he had about what happened in training. Renny listened, though a bit distractedly as she hovered by Steve, still worried about his earlier beating.

Steve chuckled, "I'm right as rain, Bangles. You already used your fairy dust earlier." Renny managed a chuff and seemed to turn her focus on the buildings around them, though she still stuck a bit close to the blond. Steve chuckled again.

Bucky watched them, smiling to himself. He was genuinely happy and thankful that someone was here to watch Steve and keep him company while he was away, but some part of the dark-haired young man was a bit envious that the pair seemed to have gotten pretty... _chummy_. He pushed the thought aside.

The further down the road they walked, more and more people began to crowd the street. Renny tugged her hood lower over her face. Her training with Steve had let her be around people more, but nowhere _near_ these numbers. The last time she went to such a crowded place was such a long time ago.

Steve squeezed her arm, trying to make the somewhat skittish young woman feel better. He knew that once she felt overwhelmed, she would probably disappear in a snap. It wouldn't be the first time it happened.

Bucky walked a bit ahead, leading the way. He stopped when he heard his name called out over the sound of the crowds.

"Bucky!"

Steve perked up at the exclamation and looked among the faces of the people to see a pair of girls. One of them was waving enthusiastically at his pal.

"Buck…" He started unsurely, "What about Renny?" The blond had thought the three of them were going around the exhibition together. Didn't Bucky even think about how out of place or left out Renny might feel?

Said young woman eyed the girls who were weaving past other people, making their way to where they were standing. "I-I'll be around."

Steve looked at her worriedly, but she just shook her head and turned to Bucky. "Sergeant." She said a little stiffly and gave an almost mocking two-fingered salute.

As if just realizing his mistake, Bucky stuttered, "H-Hey, Sunshine… Wait!-"

But Renny already melted into the crowd.

"Wow… that was actually a bit of a jerk move." Steve muttered, shaking his head. Bucky shouldn't have invited Renny if he was planning a double date. She pushed through her dislike of busy and crowded public spaces to walk with them around the exhibition because it was Bucky's last night before shipping off.

The dark-haired young man winced but schooled his expression back into a golden smile when the two young ladies reached them.

Steve sighed and took one last look around the immediate vicinity. No sign of Renny. She could have been somewhere close by where he couldn't see, but he didn't feel like that was the case. He wanted to just look for her.

Still, it would be rude to not try and have a nice time with Bonnie and Connie for a while now that they were already here. Maybe the blond was used to his pal being such a ladies man, but Renny wasn't. Not really. Even if she'd been around them for years. And weren't dames a little more complicated about these kinds of things?

He'd talk to her later and get Bucky to apologize too. No way was his pal getting shipped off to war with things as they were between the jerk and Bangles.

* * *

For the first time in a while, Renny was in a 40's dress again. She hadn't done this since she was still incognito, sometimes trailing the boys to class or every once in a while on their dates. Her hair was tinted mahogany instead of being ash brown. The strands were pulled half up, curled into loose waves down to her shoulder blades. She didn't wear any makeup other than the red on her lips. Magic really made putting up a disguise fun. She even made her eyes brown tonight. As an extra precaution, she cast a compulsion charm on herself that would make people overlook her, so she had even more confidence in walking around without her face hidden.

The pavilion was _amazing_ and there was definitely a lot to see. It definitely showed where Tony got his genius from. Most of the inventions featured around the exhibition were made by the genius playboy billionaire's father. Even her slight annoyance at being essentially kicked out of the trio in exchange for a double date didn't do much to dampen her awe. Not that she didn't know it was going to happen. Bucky had arranged a double date in the movie… She sighed.

She just thought…

Well, it was a minor thing, wasn't it? She could have spent time with Bucky before he had to leave without affecting anything major. Right? Steve was going to leave soon too. Then what was she going to do? She had the archives… but… what else? Maybe she'd spend some time in Kamar-Taj again. The Ancient One said to visit. Maybe she'd take a peek at Wakanda or something. But how would she garner good favor with them? She didn't know much about their history-

"Like what you see?"

A smooth voice asked from beside her. She jumped from her thoughts and turned to see the subject of her earlier thoughts.

 _Lord God Almighty…_

"Uhhh… Y-Yeah." Renny stuttered.

It was papa Stark.

 _Of course_ he was one of those that could see through her compulsion charm. Some people just could.

He looked very dapper in his suit. Hair immaculately styled.

 _Jeez._

Renny didn't think she'd really meet him in this life. He'd been one of the people she'd thought of approaching when she first discovered she landed herself in this universe. She'd dismissed that idea knowing that she wasn't smart enough for him to take seriously. Other than that, she was fifteen back then.

"Judging from the dumbfounded look on your face, I'm thinking you know me." He gave her a saucy wink and smile.

The man was _definitely_ Tony's father. She smiled, amused at the thought. He thought it was because of his charm.

Renny stood up, leaning her weight on one foot and popping a hip. "Howard Stark. Your face is on the front of the pavilion." She shrugged, trying to come off as indifferent because the fangirl in her would never really die and she was standing in front of the _frikking FATHER_ of the man who would be considered the godfather of the MCU.

Howard seemed to be a bit surprised that his smooth talking didn't work on the first try, but he didn't let it phase him. The pretty young lady _did_ smile after all, she was just playing hard to get. He nodded mentally to himself.

"You seem a bit lonely wandering around the show alone." Howard sidled a little closer to her.

How did no one notice him? Renny wondered. He was practically a celebrity, wasn't he? Or was he not that popular yet?

"Maybe…" Renny shrugged again, a stab of sadness and irrational anger shot through her again. "My friends had dates. I didn't."

Howard raised a brow and tsked. "Well, they're missing out." He tugged on the lapels of his jacket and gave her a flirty smile. "As it so happens-"

Renny cut him off with a spontaneous chuckle. She would probably spontaneously combust if Howard continued the sentence. Bucky had dropped lines here and there, but she knew he was just kidding around to rile her up. Howard was completely serious. "I'm a drag anyway."

"I doubt it," Howard said, trying to compliment her.

Renny chuckled and shook her head. "Anyway, don't you have to show off your flying car, Mister Stark?" She was more talkative and brave when she didn't look too much like herself. Her fangirl was showing.

Howard tilted his head, then grinned a little victoriously. "Call me Howard. That show's in five minutes. Want a look backstage?" He hinted.

Renny grinned before shaking her head. "I'd rather be in the crowd." Taking a step back, she faded into the people walking behind her. _'Sorry, Howard.'_ She thought to herself, laughing in earnest at Stark's shocked and confused face. Who knew messing with a genius was so much fun?

* * *

Howard could hear her laugh soften to a titter before it was gone completely. What the hell?! Did she just _disappear_? What kind of tech-

"Mister Stark, the presentation is in three minutes. You should get to the stage." A young woman, an intern who was playing secretary and "assistant" to him during the exhibition informed him. "Are you alright, sir?"

Howard readjusted the lapels of his jacket, as well as his smile, shaking off most of his bewilderment.

"Of course! We wouldn't want to keep the audience waiting now, would we?" In the back of his mind, he wondered how the girl knew that he was going to be showing off his prototype tonight? He'd kept it pretty hush hush to ensure the most shock factor during the exhibition. Maybe she was friends with one of his showgirls?

* * *

The blond jumped when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see a red haired, brown eyed woman in a nice white and blue dress. It took a moment, but her eyes (even if they were a different color), and the bangles on her forearms gave her away.

"Renny! You look different. Well… different… but… uh… swell. You look pretty swell." He managed. He could only just remember the last time she'd been without her hood. She always had it up, even when she joined him on his morning run.

She smiled, patting down her skirt. "Thanks."

Steve chuckled at her slight curtsey. "Were you waiting for me here?"

Renny shrugged, pointing at a row of enlistment posters. "I always wish you luck, right?"

Yes. Yes, she did.

"Good luck-"

"Steve!" Bucky suddenly appeared. "You're kind of missing the point of a double date."

The blond stood his ground, "You go ahead. I'll catch up with you."

There was a pause and Bucky shook his head, "You're _really_ gonna do this again?"

The two started arguing, Bucky trying to talk his friend out of trying to enlist again.

"Even Renny understands how this isn't about me," Steve said, looking to the girl beside him. It made him wonder how his best friend couldn't get why he needed to do this and Renny could. She stood with her arms crossed and looked seriously at the dark-haired young man.

It took Bucky a moment to finally recognize her. His eyes went wide, "Renny? You're-"

"Hey, sarge! I thought we were going dancing?" A voice called from a short distance away. It seemed to snap Bucky from his surprise at seeing their guardian angel looking so different, and without her hood too.

There was some hesitance when he turned around, "Yes we are!" He called back, holding his arms up. Bucky turned back to his two friends and shook his head. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back." He warned Steve.

Hands in his pockets, looking a bit down, Steve was able to call out a retort, "How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you."

Bucky couldn't help but smile.

"You're a punk."

"Jerk."

They hugged each other tightly and patted each other on the back. Bucky walked a few steps, turned to Renny, smiling apologetically and nodding, "You look real nice, Sunshine. Red is a little strange on you though."

Renny kept a straight face.

"Keep an eye on him, please," Bucky said, somewhat defeated. He knew he couldn't really stop Steve.

Renny shooed him, her expression bland. She went to stand by the wall. Steve had already gone in.

Bucky sighed. He wanted to say something more, maybe apologize, but he caught Connie waving at him.

He put on another smile and walked towards the girls, "Looks like they're playing our song." He should've been thrilled to have two girls on his arms to dance with on his last night before he got shipped off… but there was a weight in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

"That girl outside, she seems very sweet. You'll be leaving her. Are you alright with that?" Erskine commented, pausing while the stamp in his hand hovered right above Steve's papers.

"Ah! She's… she's not my girl." The young man's cheeks burned. "She's just a... really good friend."

"Really now?" The scientist gave Steve a bit of a smile.

"Yes, sir. She's been helping me try to get enlisted, actually." Steve scratched the back of his neck.

"And she's okay with you leaving?"

The question was something Steve didn't think about until now… What _would_ Renny do when she didn't have him or Bucky to look after? She never really mentioned anything else she did except finding a place for her books.

Would she actually follow them? _She might_ … Steve thought to himself before answering, "She knows why I have to do this."

Erskine nodded, somewhat satisfied and stamped Steve's papers.

"Congratulations, soldier." The man gave the blond a smile. He watched the young man walk through the doors, his own wide smile on his face. Steve showed his papers to his lady friend. Again the doctor was surprised that she hugged the little blond, her expression showing that she was indeed genuinely glad for him.

"Should we have popcorn to celebrate?" Steve suggested when Renny let go of him.

She brightened even more, "Butter?" She asked hopefully.

"Sure thing, Bangles." He grinned and offered her his arm.

Erskine hoped that the young man would be able to seize the chance that he was giving. He wouldn't want to be responsible for tearing apart such a sweet friendship.

* * *

"What's wrong, Bucky?"

The young man's eyes snapped back to Connie. She looked half worried and half annoyed.

Bucky had taken the two young women dancing. He'd alternated between them at first, but soon, he paired off with Connie. Bonnie had been asked to dance by another young man.

He and his date were now seated at a table, taking a break from dancing.

"Nothing's wrong. What makes you say that?" Bucky tried to smile reassuringly. That was usually a sure way to deflect questions.

Connie gave him a doubtful pout, "You have a bit of a faraway look in your eyes, to be honest." She paused before continuing bluntly, "Was it that girl with your little friend?"

Bucky sighed. Why did dames have a weird intuition for these things? He came to the conclusion that he would be in less trouble if he told the truth, "You got me, Connie."

It was the girl's turn to sigh, "Looks like someone already got you first."

Bucky started, "What?- No, she's not- She's a friend who looks out for me and my pal, Steve. Sort of like… a big sister." He felt his eye twitch at the label. It didn't seem right.

"Really?," was Connie's skeptical reply. She raised an eyebrow at how the end of his statement sounded almost like a question.

"Yeah…" Bucky looked down, "Steve says I was a jerk to her and I don't know… I guess I'm feeling out of sorts because it's my last night in town and things got kind of sour between us."

"Ah." Connie nodded in understanding. After a beat, she stood and pulled at his sleeve, "Let's go find her." She smiled enthusiastically.

"Wh-What?-"

"You're going off to fight a war and you just had a spat with your friend," Connie said matter-of-factly, "I think it'll be good karma for me if I help you fix things with her." Her tone was a bit eager, she tugged Bucky forward in a random direction.

Bucky's shock and uncharacteristic sputtering had him following right after his date (well "date" was probably not the right word now) with no resistance at all.

"Steve was looking at the army enlistment when we last saw him, right? Maybe she's waiting there for him."

"Yeah. Hey! Slow down, Connie!" He tried to tell her, but she was a woman on a mission.

"We haven't been gone too long.. Maybe…" She muttered to herself.

They sped past the recruitment center when they didn't see the pair they were looking for. Jogging, they reached an area filled with various food stalls.

"Connie-"

"I think I see them by the popcorn."

Of course. "Ah, yeah. Looks like it," Bucky suddenly felt a little unsure.

Connie stared at the young man, "Well?" She gestured with her hands, "Go on."

He felt sheepish and a bit embarrassed, "I… I guess I oughta thank but frown at you, Connie."

The young woman smiled, though Bucky could see the slight pain and envy in her eyes. "Friends are all we have sometimes when things go wrong in the world. Now, come on, go!" She chuckled, giving the young man an encouraging shove. "Bonnie will be looking for me and maybe her partner has a friend too." She gave him one final wink, "Good luck!"

* * *

Renny couldn't help but frown at her now empty box of popcorn.

Steve laughed, amused, and tugged playfully at her hood. "That's your second one, Bangles. I swear you'd buy out the whole cart if you could."

She shrugged. Back home, she could eat a whole bag of microwave popcorn by herself and still want seconds. The portions here were tiny.

The young woman had changed back to her pants, hooded coat, and boots before they went in search of a snack. She didn't feel too comfortable being away from her protective disguise for too long. That and her being upset with Bucky made her want to spite him in some way. The only option available to her was changing out of the dress that the young man had looked at appreciatively.

She shoved the thought to the back of her mind and plastered a playful grin on her face instead, "Maybe… Is something wrong with that?"

A shadow fell over the pair, "Will another hold you over? It's not the cart, but they said it was the biggest box they got."

Steve and Renny looked up from their seats on the side of a short wall.

"Bucky? I thought you'd dance the night through since you're shipping off." Steve was surprised but glad that his pal seemed to have come around and somehow left his dates. The blond hoped the two girls weren't too bad off. He shuffled to the side so his friend could sit too.

The soldier kept standing and stepped a little closer to Renny, but his gaze shifted back and forth between his two friends.

"I'm sorry I was a jerk. I haven't seen you two in a while and I put you both in an awkward situation." He sighed, "We should have just gone around the show together." He tapped his fingers on the box of popcorn in his hands in anticipation. Taking one more breath, he said, "I just… well… I'm really sorry." He held out the popcorn like a peace offering while Renny stared at it.

Steve remained silent, knowing the apology was more directed at the girl beside him. He already forgave his buddy anyway.

Renny wanted to be stubborn, but Steve gently reminded her that it was Bucky's last night before he shipped off.

She sighed, "You're lucky I like popcorn." She easily took the box from his fingers. The young woman seemed to sink even more into her coat when she popped a few pieces in her mouth. Bucky grinned and sat between his two friends.

* * *

They'd gone around the exhibition a little more before walking to the station where several military buses were parked. It was almost time for them to leave.

Steve and Bucky hugged tightly.

"Give 'em hell 'til I get there, but save some action for me." Steve muttered.

Bucky blew a breath and replied, "Don't take so long then."

Renny smiled at the two. Brothers. If nothing, they were like brothers in everything but blood. She let them talk for a few minutes while she stood a few feet away watching the other soldiers and military men say their own goodbyes to their loved ones.

The sight was warm, sweet, and sad at the same time. How many of these men weren't going to come home?

A hand on her shoulder made her jump slightly.

"Hey, easy doll." It was Bucky. "No hug and kiss goodbye?" He held out his arms.

Renny folded her own arms, raising an eyebrow.

"Alright, alright. No kiss, even if it's for good luck." He sighed dramatically. Renny didn't move. He chuckled when she didn't take the bait. "Come on. How about we do without the hood? Please? I want to see you smile before I go. It's no fair Stevie got all your smiles." He pouted.

 _That_ did elicit a reaction from her. She shuffled slightly. It was a few moments before she moved again.

She reached up for her hood, hesitating before finally pulling it down. Her eyes were back to their stormy greyish blue framed by ash brown tresses. "Happy, Pancakes?"

Bucky lips formed a wide grin, like a cat that had caught the canary. Renny had called him that every once in a while when she was annoyed with him because she gave in to what he wanted. "Very, Sunshine." He said cheekily before pulling her in for a tight hug. Renny returned the gesture loosely, doing her very best not to let her emotions get the best of her. "This isn't so bad now, is it?" Bucky said, his chin resting on top of her head.

She couldn't really stay annoyed at him. Not when he gave such nice, warm hugs. She shrugged, pulling back before her body betrayed her and she wrapped her arms around him tightly. "A big head makes for an easy target," She said, huffing a laugh.

Bucky liked her soft laughs. Feeling daring, he kissed the top of her head before she pulled back too far. Her eyes were wide and she gaped at him.

"Now that's a little morbid." Bucky smiled, acting all casual. He continued on, "I'm a bit curious though, are you still going to be watching Steve? He's going to leave for training in two days."

Steve had told Bucky of his successful enlistment. The dark-haired young man didn't express his concern and worry, especially when Renny had given him a look. Bucky decided to just be happy that Steve was happy. He'd still pray that his pal would get stuck behind a desk though. It was for his own good.

Renny shook her head, trying to ignore the heat she felt on her cheeks and focused on Bucky's question instead. She took a breath to answer before Steve stepped beside them before she could.

"I'm sure I'll be okay. 'Sides, I need to get used to not having you guys around if I'm going to hold my own out there." He wanted to tease Bucky and Renny about what just happened, but he thought twice about it when he saw the embarrassed expression on her face. She'd probably bolt if he did.

"Come on ladies! We need to get a move on!" A man in uniform called out from the door of one of the buses.

"Looks like this it for now, you two." Bucky firmly held his friends close to his sides in a final hug. With one long sigh, he loosened his arms and walked to the bus. Renny stared at his back.

 _Damn it Bucky… You do **that** right before you leave?... Before…_

An older man's voice echoed in her head, _'The entire division… I'm sorry…'_

"Stay safe, soldier." She muttered, pulling her hood up again so Steve wouldn't see her eyes getting glassy. The blond heard her though, taking note of the slight tremble in her voice.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Did I get Howard's personality right? Or was he too flirty? Haha. So we're into the start of CA: The First Avenger now. Things are going to get sort of a little action-y from here. Though I warn you, I'm still getting a handle on writing better action scenes... so there's that. Thoughts on this chapter? Thanks again to everyone who read and added this story to their alerts and favorites. I would love to know what you guys are thinking, so please drop a review. It's been a while since I got one. If you have any suggestions or creative criticism, I'm open to them too.**_

 _ **Til the next chapter.**_


	12. Sing Soldier

**_A/N: Alright, it's been a while since the last chapter. I needed to encourage myself to start writing again after my phone died- it had all my chapters for this story (around seven or so), it was almost close to the end there. Thanks for bearing with me. Anyway, I hope you guys are still with me. Enjoy!_**

* * *

 **Sing Soldier**

* * *

Safe to say, the following week was strange for Renny. The house she had shared with Steve was empty without the little blond. Bucky was now overseas. Without them, Brooklyn was now empty except for the memories she had made with the two there.

It was time to step back from them. She had to do it, she decided. They needed to be able to grow on their own.

Without her.

They could do it, she knew.

So she poured her time into her scouting. Honestly, it had been somewhat neglected since she stepped out of the shadows and spent so much time with the boys. Her days were now filled with travel and trying to find the best place for her archives.

Mountains and dense forests.

Grassy plains and rocky crags.

Dark caves and hidden meadows.

All of it was breathtaking, beautiful, awe-inspiring and…

 _Lonely._

She'd spent years with the almost constant presence of Steve and Bucky. Now she yearned for their companionship. There was an aching numbness in her chest.

"Damn…" Renny whispered to herself while she rested by a river.

The realization made her place a hand over her heart. This is what she had wanted to avoid.

 _Attachment._

She stuck her hands in the cool water before slapping her cheeks with her wet palms. She groaned, raking her hands over her face, then sweeping her damp fingers through her hair.

Her attachment would make everything so much harder and so much more complicated.

" _No_."

The young woman growled to herself. She couldn't just suddenly abandon the two either. She wouldn't. Not when it wasn't yet necessary.

 _Not yet._ Maybe the time was looming nearer that she would have to, but not _yet._

So with the logic that she was already attached and that she couldn't do anything about it, Renny checked on them every once in a while. She visited Bucky a little more than Steve. The former was currently fighting in a war after all.

* * *

Steve worried a bit when he didn't see Renny at all during his basic military training. He had to remind himself that he'd said he had to learn to be on his own. The blond didn't think that he was reliant on his and Bucky's guardian angel, he was just used to having her around.

He shook his head when he caught himself glancing toward the trees when the drill sergeant had them doing laps around the camp again.

Bangles put a lot of effort into helping him get stronger. Hell, he felt like if she hadn't pushed him so hard during those runs, he wouldn't just be lagging behind his fellow trainees. He would most likely be flat out on the ground before the halfway-

"Alright, ladies! This flagpole means we're just halfway around the camp. Whoever gets me that flag gets to ride with Carter in the jeep."

Steve caught some of his breath as he watched the rest of the squad try to scramble on top of each other for a moment.

 _'Believe me. You'll show them.'_

The drill sergeant was calling them back in line when Steve stepped up to the pole. Removing the pin keeping it upright was easy. The metal tipped to the ground with a clang.

He silently took the flag and handed it to his officer and climbed into the back of the jeep, heaving a breath.

He'd spotted the smile on Carter's face before she turned. The dumbfounded looks on his fellow trainees' faces and the drill sergeant were prominent as well, but he didn't comment. He smiled in his head though. He just wished Renny saw this. She'd be so proud.

* * *

When Erskine had chosen him for project Rebirth, he had been rearing at the chance to be able to really serve his country. It still had him curious though…

 _Why him?_

The old doctor's explanation of finding a good man for the procedure made him stand straighter. It gave him confidence in his heart even when he knew his body wasn't exactly the choice for a perfect soldier. He knew he was scrawny.

The day of the scheduled procedure, Steve really wished that Renny was there to give her traditional words of good luck. Aside from wanting to see her face at finding out that other people had seen his potential, he couldn't help but feel nervous. It was all experimental, after all.

It didn't help his nerves when he stepped into a car to be met with the sight of one Peggy Carter. He floundered with starting some sort of conversation with her.

"You really don't know how to talk to a woman, do you?", she'd commented after he'd managed to point out where he'd been beaten up. Steve had flushed at that. Looking out the window bashfully, the blond didn't notice how said woman gave him an almost fond look.

The car stopped by an antique shop and Steve breathed another slow sigh as he stepped out, hoping to calm his jackrabbiting heart. Peggy had gone a few steps ahead of him.

Sucking in a quick breath this time, he overtook her just as he noticed that she was about to enter the shop. The little blond smiled a little awkwardly as he held the door open for the brunette. Peggy smiled mildly back before turning somewhat serious again.

It was short and small, but the smile lifted Steve's spirits. His pause at the doorway also gave him the chance to spot a glass bottle with a familiar variety of flowers. A piece of paper was folded under it and he carefully slid it out.

 _'Good luck. You'll do great.'_

The few words made him smile and helped ease his nerves even more. He glanced at the nearby alleys for a split second before jogging into the shop just as Peggy finished saying something to the old woman behind the counter.

* * *

Renny stood on the rooftop across from the antique shop. She watched the car that parked, letting out her blond friend. She smiled as she watched him hold the door for Peggy. The sight of him trying to look for her after he saw the flowers and the note made her huff a small chuckle.

There was a cheery tinkle of a bell as the door to the shop closed, and her smile dropped. The magic user sighed.

She so badly to be there. Steve's transformation was one of the great first milestones of the MCU. The reveal of Captain America. What kind of fan was she not to take the opportunity?

What kind of friend was she if she wasn't by her friend's side during one of the greatest, probably most nerve-wracking, moments of his life?

The urge of wanting to be closer had her portalling to the top of the antique shop.

Here. Kneeling, she placed a hand flat on the roof. She could almost picture it. Right below her feet-

She bit her lip.

 _No._

This was all real now.

A _key event._ She couldn't risk interfering.

She wouldn't give anyone any reason to be suspicious of Steve if he brought in an unknown civilian.

Hell, she wouldn't even risk sneaking in under an invisibility charm. Howard Stark had overlooked her compulsion charm once before. What if he could somehow bypass this one? Even if he just sensed her.

She didn't even know if her magic would affect any of the machines they were going to be using.

There were just too many dangerous possibilities. Reaching a hand into a pocket in her robes, she pulled out a candle. Unconsciously, she twirled it with her fingers as she continued thinking.

Erskine.

The good doctor who was, would be, responsible for changing Steve's life forever.

Brilliant. Generous. Kind.

He didn't deserve to die.

Could she save him?

Easily.

All it would take was a well-timed shielding charm.

But then…

The repercussions…

What kind of life would the doctor live if she did save him?

She couldn't just hide him. He would spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder. He was the mind that conceived the serum that would make _the_ Captain America.

Even an _imperfect_ imitation would make the Winter Soldier.

The doctor had to die.

Renny had to console herself with the fact that the last thing the old man would see would be his serum used to create the perfect soldier. Used to enhance an already good man.

He would die happy. Content.

Erskine would be another man she had to let die. Another she could save but wouldn't.

One of many.

So _very many._

It weighed down on her, more than even the soldiers she'd tended to at the camp. They went into war knowing that there was the possibility of not making it back home.

Erskine on the other hand…

An explosion rocked the building she was on. Letting out a deep breath, she got up to her feet. Solemnly lighting the candle in her hand, she planted it on the roof.

Bowing her head and saying a quick and silent prayer, she opened a portal and walked through it, not looking back even when she heard a commotion break out on the street.

* * *

What was it now? His fifth? Sixth city?

When Secretary Brandt had told him that he would get promoted, that he would be serving his country, he was ready to stand on the front lines as a soldier. Now, he was playing one.

Showgirls, singing, lifting motorbikes, propaganda, punching a man dressed as Hitler, and selling war bonds. These were the farthest things from his mind.

It had been over two months now since his transformation into Captain America and what did he have to show for it? A blue, red, and white costume and a reputation as the "star-spangled man with a plan".

Steve shook his head. The senator had said that if he played the part for a few months, he'd soon be in charge of his own platoon.

 _Just a little longer._

If he was honest, he didn't really mind being the popular one for a change-

"Steve."

The voice was soft but rang clearly even in the crowded hallway behind the stage. There was an advantage to enhanced hearing.

His head immediately turned to the direction of the familiar voice, close to where a few racks of props were.

Stepping forward hopefully, he whispered loudly, unsure, "Bangles?-"

"Oof!"

Steve looked down to see a young woman had bumped into him. He held her shoulders as she steadied herself.

"Sorry, miss." He apologized.

The woman looked up, her eyes widening when she realized who she'd bumped into, "Oh gosh. Captain America!" She beamed at him. Steve admitted to himself that she was pretty.

He smiled back a little shyly when the sound of a suppressed chuckle cut through the din. He looked back to the entrance to the prop area, seeing a flutter of curtains and the glint of bronze.

"I-I'm so sorry. I really got to- got to get going." Steve stuttered. The woman had also been floundering on what else she could say, given how starstruck she felt.

Steve was almost to the prop area when she called after him, "I really enjoyed the show!"

"Thanks!" He called back and managed one more smile over his shoulder before he disappeared behind a curtain.

The chaos of the rest of the backstage seemed significantly quieter now. A hooded figure was running their fingers over helmets arranged on a rack.

"Bangles!"

Steve couldn't help himself when she turned around, looked up, and smiled. He damn well wanted to give her a tight hug, but he was still somewhat afraid he might squeeze too hard, so he settled for putting his hands on her arms-

"There you are, Cap!" The curtain was moved to reveal the stage manager. "Ten minutes, alright kids? You got your comic books ready?" He was instructing a group of eager children who were bouncing on their feet.

"Okay boys and girls. One at a time, okay?" A now brown haired, brown eyed lady in a blouse and skirt stepped from Steve's side and was smiling and ushering the children. The stage manager spared her a slightly confused look but then shook it off, glad to be rid of one more responsibility of having to keep an eye on the kids. He still had to check on the showgirls, costume manager, and show coordinator.

Steve mentally shook his head at how quickly Renny could blend like a chameleon when she wanted to.

Ten minutes turned into almost an hour when more kids found their way backstage. An additional half hour was spent answering some questions, taking photographs, and avoiding to have to take too many more until he changed out of his costume. When he and Renny finally managed to leave the theater building, they had to sneak their way around other journalists and eager fans while they made their way to the hotel Steve was staying at for the night.

The man shut the door to his room and took a deep breath, leaning against it. Renny had plopped onto the sofa a little further into his suite. She would have melted into the crowd earlier, but there were too many cameras. A wave of sparks washed down from the top of her head to reveal her original appearance.

"There were a little less tonight, actually." Steve chuckled as he poured a glass of water when he noticed how Renny looked spent. She didn't handle being around a lot of people too well, he knew. He handed her the glass and she took it gratefully.

When she was done, she placed it on the coffee table, stood up and turned to really take the blond in this time. She had seen the movies back home, she'd seen the pictures here, read descriptions comparing Steve pre-serum to his Captain America stature, but being face to face with the actual thing was a bit of a shock.

The top of her head didn't even reach his chin and he was built like a brick wall.

"Oh wow…" Renny breathed.

They were both thinking how strange and different this was. He used to look up a bit to meet her eyes under the hood. She used to easily sling an arm over his shoulders.

"Yeah. I know," Steve looked away, scratching the back of his neck bashfully.

The familiar expression on the blond's face snapped Renny out of her stupor. Putting her arms as far around Steve's torso as they could go, she hugged him tightly. Steve would always be Steve, serum or no.

"You're still a teddy bear." She laughed softly. Maybe the emphasis on _bear_ now, but still…

The man laughed, "I never thought anyone would call Captain America a 'teddy bear'." He wrapped his arms lightly around the now shorter woman, still cautious.

Renny chuffed and smiled a little slyly, "Is the 'star-spangled man with a plan' better?"

His cheeks turned a bit red, "Uhhh… So you heard that, huh?"

Her smile widened and she pulled out something from her robes. Steve was embarrassed to see a Captain America comic book in her hand. She whacked him with it, "Everyone has, I think."

The two settled on the couch and talked about what happened during the past two months, or rather, Steve talked. Renny only gave an additional comment here and there.

Some time into the storytelling, Renny had kicked off her boots, sat sideways on the couch and leaned back on Steve's arm. The man himself had taken off his shoes and socks, putting his feet on the ottoman.

"How are you, Renny? I mean, I know you're a tough gal and you can take care of yourself, but…"

Said woman leaned her head back enough to look him in the eyes, "I'm okay."

Her friend's blue orbs were focused on her, prodding her where words couldn't.

 _What have you been up to for the past two months?_

Always so polite.

She sighed. "Been traveling and… I think I found the right place this time," Renny said, determination in her own grey-blue eyes.

Steve straightened, "Really?- I mean, it's not like you won't find the right place. You've been at it for years- not that you aren't capable- Aw jeez."

"Easy, Steve." She smiled gently and pat his knee, "I'm sure this time."

The blond relaxed, his own genuine smile taking its place on his face, "That's swell, Renny. I'm happy for you." He shifted and gave her a half hug from his position. Turning as well, the young woman returned it. They stayed that way for a while.

A thought niggled at the back of Steve's mind. He'd always wanted to ask more about Renny's mission, but he'd always been respectful of her secrets. She'd never done anything that would make him doubt her after all. Still, curiosity was a powerful thing.

"Renny," He started hesitantly, "I know Bucky and I never really asked, but… What's in your books? If you don't mind me asking, that is…" He trailed off and silence ensued. Renny's arm slid from his back and she looked at her feet.

Steve cringed. He might have overstepped this time. He was about to apologize when grey-blue eyes turned to him.

"Well…" It was her turn to be hesitant, " Records… sort of." Renny halted for a moment, feeling like she should stop, but the words felt inadequate. _Incredibly inadequate_ for the trust and friendship that was given to her for years. So she went on, "Like… information about… important people…"

The most important people in this universe.

She wasn't sure what more she could add.

Steve furrowed his brows in thought, "Like history?"

History to _her_ maybe. History yet to happen. She nodded her head, "Yes." That was probably the best word for it.

Steve nodded in acceptance, "Thank you for telling me, Renny." This was most likely as close as he was ever going to get. He didn't pry.

She mentally flinched when her friend seemed satisfied. He trusted her too much, "Of course." She slid back to her old position and leaned her back against his arm again. She felt a little ashamed to keep looking him in the eye but missed him enough that she didn't want to get up and leave the couch.

Time passed, the two of them silent, simply lounging and taking comfort in the other's presence. Before either of them knew it, Renny had fallen asleep. It had been a while since she had slept on anything soft.

Steve could tell just how tired she actually was when she barely stirred when he lifted her into his arms. He walked to his bed and tucked her in gently. Taking one of the other pillows from the bed, along with an extra blanket, he went back to the couch.

The next morning, Renny was gone. The only remnants of her presence were the rumpled sheets on the bed, a note on the bedside table, and a sprig of baby's breath on top of it.

 _'_ You didn't have to take the couch, you know. I'm not the one who's the size of a bear now.'

* * *

 _ **A/N: So there it is. The story's changed a bit actually since I had to rewrite chapters. For the better, I think. They're actually a little more detailed now. 'Til next time.**_


	13. Blood and Bullets

**_A/N: Time for a little more action. Here we go!..._**

* * *

 **Blood and Bullets**

* * *

Stalking the military camps situated near the front lines at night made Renny realize just what effects the war was having. ** _  
_**

The sounds of pain, suffering, and death made her all the more worried about Bucky. Seeing soldiers huddled together around fires at night, a haunted look in their eyes, others in tents with horrid injuries. Some that could be treated, many simply waiting in agony for it to end. Gunfire and explosions echoed in the distance instead of crickets.

All of it… the war never felt more real to Renny.

Fear, along with a morbid sense of curiosity made the young woman gravitate toward the infirmaries more during her visits. She held her breath when she neared the tent flaps, fingers hesitating from pushing them aside.

Even when she knew that Bucky would be relatively alright till the battalion reached Italy, she dreaded the slim possibility that she would find the young man on one of those cots.

She never did, thank God. But the sight of the injured soldiers there tugged at her heartstrings. The infirmary tents were usually reserved for more severe injuries.

Still…

She could help take away their pain, couldn't she?

It was the humane thing to do for some. It was all she could do anyway. She couldn't use too much of her magic, not even on minor healing and recovery spells. Not when her latest travels had given her a bit of a lead for her archives.

The magic caster placed a compulsion charm on herself as she ghosted through the rows of cots. When she reached those mortally wounded, she numbed their senses and let them rest easy until they passed.

She held their hands and brushed back their hair with a cooling touch to soothe them to a calm state of sleep.

Sometimes, she just sat by them for a while after they'd gone.

* * *

When Bucky first heard the rumors of a ghost haunting the infirmary, he thought it was some soldiers being delirious with meds and pain. Then he heard that whatever it was left a sprig of baby's breath on the sheets of those that had passed.

He shook his head, chuckling. There were nights he thought he'd been dreaming or just wishful. Renny's familiar figure would sometimes appear along his peripherals.

A few times, he woke up feeling the ghost of her presence in the air around him. Sometimes, when he had injuries or when his muscles ached, he woke up feeling just a little bit better. When he checked underneath his bandages, there were times that they never looked as bad as he thought when he first got them. He should have known better.

Nothing stopped Renny from checking up on him or Steve, not even oceans.

"Always worrying about everyone, Sunshine."

* * *

It was late into the night. The only thing that illuminated the darkness was the sky full of stars and the full moon that glowed a pale yellow.

In the middle of a clearing in a forest, knelt a figure in robes. Her lips moved along with the incantation she had been muttering for the past hour. As the last word tumbled from her lips, the last syllables seemed to echo throughout the clearing. A chill wind seemed to pick up, swirling and making leaves dance into the air and the grass around her sway.

The grooves on her vambraces glowed like hot metal before arcane rings formed around her wrists. Runes carved into the ground began to slowly light up one after the other, creating a ring around her before igniting a line from where she knelt to another larger arcane circle on the ground several feet from her.

When all the runes were lit, she stood up and stretched out her hands forcefully, palms facing outward. Another line of sparks split the air above the arcane circle, lengthening before the two ends angled in different directions. When the lines joined again to form a pair of rectangles, a large wooden double door materialized. When it was finally solid, the glow of all the runes dimmed and the wind calmed.

Renny let out a deep breath when it was done. The vambraces on her arms felt cool now. She'd been storing magic in them for years so that she would have enough for this. Even so, she felt tired, her natural magic reserves were still quite drained.

She looked at the doors in front of her, anxious. The wood was carved with more runes along the edges, an arcane circle in the middle, split down the middle by an almost imperceptible gap. Stepping forward, she placed a hand on the circle. It only took the slightest push for the doors to swing inwards.

Renny felt her anxiety bleed away. Walking through the doorway revealed a large, high ceilinged room.

It was bare.

The stone floors and stone walls reminded her of what a castle sitting room might look like. One side of the room had tall windows, the view outside was of the forest clearing.

Yes. She could work with this.

* * *

They had cleared another town of those damn Nazis. The Germans seemed to have retreated for now, so there was some time to help the small town clear up and maybe fix some of the damage.

It was dark now and the soldiers had returned to their camp. A chill was in the air and Bucky moved to settle on the ground beside one of the bonfires that were lit to keep the men warm. An older man handed him a cup of broth and he took it gratefully. Bucky just wanted to get something warm in his belly, then maybe get shut-eye before they had to move again.

Running those Germans off was not an easy task, but it didn't take as long as they expected. It was the clean up that was more exhausting actually. The grateful townspeople gave the soldiers what food and water they could spare while they worked were helpful though. They lifted the men's spirits.

"God. Who thought cleaning up after the Nazis was going to be part of the job?" One soldier who plopped beside him complained, rolling his shoulders.

Across from him, another one snorted, "Don't act like it wasn't worth it, Baker."

"What're you talkin' about, Morgan?"

A third man cut in, "Cut it, Baker. We all saw you getting all chummy with that dame. Right, fellas?"

Nods and chuckles.

The first man's expression of denial turned into a grin, "Do yah blame me? She was a doll!"

Someone else shrugged, "She was fine, but I prefer the blonde. I mean," He gestured to his chest and made a curving gesture, "Damn!"

"Don't be disgusting-"

"Ah! Well, don't you be actin' like _you're_ all saintly."

"Better not get your hopes up anyway. Most of those dames only had eyes for Barnes."

Bucky wasn't really paying attention to the conversation until he heard his name. All eyes were on him now.

"So? Which one caught your fancy, Sarge? I'll bet it was that dame in the blue skirt-"

"Nah, the blonde with the braid-"

Bucky just huffed a laugh, "Easy boys." He shook his head, "They were all pretty dames, but just not really my type." He continued to sip at his broth.

Someone scoffed. "I don't believe you pal. I mean, that one blonde was… Mmmmm!-" He again made curving gestures with his hand.

The crude soldier was cut off with a whack to the back of his head. Another round of laughs.

"We get it. You like your dames curvy."

"And you're a liar Barnes!" Someone pointed at him. "You can't tell me you didn't want any of those ladies' attention?"

Well… Bucky'd be lying if he said no. Months on the front lines could make any man miss any kind of attention from a woman. But… those girls didn't interest him. Not really-

"Or," The man beside him piped up, "You got a dame waiting for you back in Brooklyn!" He punched Bucky on the shoulder. "What's her name?"

The men leaned forward with eager grins on their faces.

Bucky laughed, "Nah, I-"

"Sarge, the major's lookin' for you." Another soldier had cut into the discussion, stepping into the edge of the circle.

"Ah. Looks like duty calls. Later, fellas." Bucky brushed off his pants and gave the rest of the men a salute, turning to follow the private.

They trekked through the camp and soon enough, they were standing at the officer's tent.

The major approached them and nodded at the other man, "Thank you, private. You're dismissed."

When the other soldier had left, the major looked at Bucky, "Sergeant James Barnes."

"Yes, sir," Bucky confirmed, standing at attention.

"It looks like we have a strange situation on our hands. Follow me." The officer led him out of the tent.

"Earlier tonight, one of the perimeter patrols found someone who stumbled into the camp. She said-"

"Sorry, sir. _She?_ "

"Yes." They made their way into the infirmary. There were only a few cots occupied since they had just transferred the severely injured to a more well-equipped camp further from the front lines. "The soldier who found her, Private Williams, and his companions said the woman mentioned your name just before she passed out. She mistook Williams for you."

Bucky recognized the name. He'd fought beside the younger man during several skirmishes. Now that he thought about it, the other man looked a bit like him, though slightly taller and with dark eyes instead of blue.

"It's strange for a woman such as herself to be wandering so close to the front lines. We couldn't find any weapons on her either. Not even a knife." The major gestured to a cot at the end of the tent, it was the only one curtained off. "Now, I just want to know if you do know her, or if we might have a possible spy on our hands."

Bucky's brow wrinkled. He didn't know anyone outside of America, much less someone in Europe. The only possible person would be-

He sucked in a breath when the curtain was pulled back. Quickly, he stepped closer to the side of her bed and held the person's hand. "Renny…" he muttered.

The major raised a brow, "I'll take it you do know her?"

Bucky nodded stiffly, "Yes, sir. She's one of my friends from Brooklyn. Was she injured?" He then noticed her forearms were bare. He was about to panic but he spotted the bronze vambraces on the small table beside the cot. He'd never seen her without the arm guards before. The now exposed skin was visibly paler. There were scars too, but they were old.

"No. Medics said there were signs of serious exhaustion though. You're positive she's your friend, Barnes? We're a _long_ way from Brooklyn." The major said skeptically.

He felt his shoulders relax. She was okay. "One hundred percent sir. Those forearm guards are like her ID." He said definitively. He'd been wondering about her every once in a while, it had been three months since he'd last seen her and Steve at the Marvels of Tomorrow exhibition.

He missed the young woman, but what was she doing here? Did something happen while she planned to check on him again? Was she here to warn them maybe? She never let herself be caught or even _seen_ by anyone that wasn't him or Steve unless she wanted to or there was something she had to tell either of them. Usually, she popped up unexpectedly when his pal was about to get beat up.

"Sir, you said when Williams found her, she was looking for me?" He stood straight and looked at the major.

"Yes, what is it sergeant?" The major could hear a note of apprehension in Bucky's voice.

"Back in Brooklyn, she had a knack for showing up when there was trouble. It's kind of a long shot-" he paused, thinking again about the grim implications of her appearance, "- but she might have come here to warn us about something."

The major scoffed, "She doesn't even have tags, Barnes. I doubt she's even connected to the military."

"She isn't but-"

Those words finalized the major's next choice of words, "Sorry, son. We can't babysit her. The best we can do is leave her at the next town, especially if she doesn't wake up. We've gotten orders to march by dawn. Besides, an infirmary tent isn't the best place for her to recover." The major patted Bucky's shoulder firmly. "They'll keep an eye on her. Besides, one of our communications officers will be staying at the town to relay messages between the front lines and the main camp further down." He said before exiting the infirmary.

Bucky sighed. The major had a point. He turned back to Renny and noted how she looked tired and somewhat pallid. "It's swell seeing you again, Sunshine. I keep telling you that you look fine without the hood." He teased. Gently, he brushed back her hair and tucked it behind her ear and sighed, "I just wish it were under better circumstances."

It seemed like every time she did show her face, there was some kind of issue. Even in her sleep, she looked like she had a lot on her mind. He wondered, worrying a bit at what could possibly be weighing her down that even sleep couldn't help her relax.

The medics in the tent were kind enough to let Bucky stay and use the empty cot beside Renny's. He wanted to be close by just in case she woke up and did have something urgent to tell him. He'd packed up his gear before sitting by the bonfire earlier, so he didn't have to worry about the early morning march.

"The last few months have been crazy." Bucky began to regale her of what stories he could of the 107th, his experiences on the front lines, and the friends he managed to make among the men who he fought alongside, "I'm with the best out here, we got each other's backs. So you shouldn't worry too much."

When he chuckled at certain memories, he would look back at Renny, hoping to see her smile, but the slight wrinkle between her brows remained.

* * *

"Sergeant Barnes."

Bucky shot up from the cot. He'd dozed off. The last thing he remembered was telling his fifth or sixth story about the 107th. When he looked back at Renny, she looked much the same.

"Sir, they'll be on the march soon." One of the medics informed him.

Bucky sighed. "I'm sorry I can't stay with you, Sunshine." He stood up and gave her hand a squeeze. "It's war, so I can't tell you there's no use in worrying."

Hesitant, he let her go and put on his jacket. "I promise I'll check on you as soon as I can after we help out in Azzano."

His back was turned to her when she shifted uncomfortably at the name of the place.

* * *

When Renny had finished tinkering around a bit with the space that would become her archives, she was exhausted. Her magic was practically completely drained.

"Maybe I shouldn't have gotten too into it."

The young woman just wanted to go home and sleep. But...

Where was home?

Brooklyn wasn't it. Not without Bucky and Steve. Even if the latter offered, it didn't feel right to stay at his place while he was gone. Besides that, the blond was touring. She didn't have the magic to portal around and surprise him if she didn't get the location right with the first try. even if the thought of a soft mattress was tempting.

How about Bucky?

How was he? It had been a month since she last checked on him. She stumbled through the portal she'd managed to conjure after two sputtering tries because she lacked focus. She was surprised when she found herself still in a forest.

"Damn…" she whispered to herself, feeling light headed. That was definitely the last of her magic for now. Why did she have to have to push herself manipulating that space? She had lots of time to do it later.

When she tripped for the nth time, she thought that maybe she should have just slept in her new archives, even if it was on a hard floor.

She just really wanted to see either of the boys. There was a feeling churning in her gut that told her she should check on them.

Lights flickered in her vision, and after blinking a few times, she processed that they were actually bonfires in the distance. The thought of warmth felt very inviting indeed. Hopefully whoever owned the fires weren't creeps.

She did her best to continue staggering forward, the world spinning when she could finally make out the blurry shapes of tents and… trucks maybe? They couldn't be elephants.

She stumbled and tripped again, finally landing on her hands and knees. She groaned.

"Holy hell." A voice exclaimed in a familiar Brooklyn accent when a bright light flashed into Renny's eyes. "Are you alright?"

Renny squinted to make out dark hair and eyes, "Bucky?"

"Bucky?"

Another light was directed onto her face, making Renny feel nauseated, " _Hurk_ … Barnes, tell'em to-" her weak complaint was cut off when she managed to turn and vomit her meager lunch onto the ground.

"Sorry 'bout him, miss. Easy." The man who she thought was Bucky held her by the shoulders when she finished heaving. God she was beyond exhausted, losing her lunch didn't help.

"Here," She felt cold metal touch her lips, a canteen. She drank a few sips before shaking her head. She could feel herself slipping. She only managed a weak squeeze on the hand keeping her steady as a warning before darkness took over.

* * *

When consciousness finally returned to her, she wasn't surprised that her whole body still felt sore. What was surprising was that she still felt completely drained.

A few hours rest would have replenished at least a small amount of her magic reserves. With her eyes still closed, she brushed her hands over her forearms- they were bare.

Her eyes shot open and she sat up quickly in a panic, relief flooding her when she spotted her vambraces sitting on top of her coat on a chair beside where she was lying down. Her boots were set aside too.

She groaned, she couldn't really fault whoever was taking care of her for trying to make her comfortable. They didn't know that without her vambraces on, she couldn't properly replenish her magic. Where was she anyway?

Finally taking in her surroundings, she understood that she was in some kind of living room. She was on a lumpy couch. The room was blessedly dim, though from what she could make out, the main window seemed boarded up behind the sheer curtains. The glass was cracked and broken in places.

Picking up her vambraces, she snapped them back on. Once they were secure, she let out a breath at the relief that flooded her system. She could already feel the controlled trickle of magic slowly returning. The constant tiredness she felt without them ebbed away slightly and she felt more steady on her feet.

A soft gasp cut through the silence, followed by the patter of little footsteps. "Nina!"

Renny turned to the doorway between the living room and what she assumed was the kitchen. A young woman stood there with a little boy hiding behind her skirts. "Good! You are awake!" She smiled prettily and moved forward, holding a glass of water, "Drink, please."

Renny nodded at the younger girl, Nina she guessed, thanking her softly.

"Sit! Sit, please. You need your rest." The girl urged.

Renny returned her smile, "I'm alright." Still, she sat down. The girl's accent was interesting to listen to. European. Italian most likely.

"But you were so pale when you came. _Merda_! The men said to watch over you until you woke."

Renny scrunched her brow, "Men?"

"Yes! The American soldiers. One of them stayed to watch their radios while the others marched north."

The glass dropped from Renny's hands. If she was in Italy… north was…

She grabbed her coat and boots, slipping them on as quick as she could. "Where were they going?"

"You can't be thinking of following them-"

" _Where!?_ " Renny almost screamed.

"They did not say!" The girl cowered slightly. Renny felt ashamed at her outburst, but there was no time.

"I'm sorry," she apologized quickly, grasping the girl by the arms, "The soldier who stayed. Where?"

"The town hall."

The shaken girl barely finished when Renny was already out the door.

The town hall was easy to find. There was an antenna sticking out of the tall tower attached to the building. Renny stormed into it and found the communications officer, sitting at a table, frantically relaying messages.

"-around nineteen miles north, Azzano. There are reports of a possible-"

She didn't need to hear anymore. Making a rough estimate, she conjured a portal and jumped through the sparks.

* * *

Immediately, she was assaulted with the sound of gunfire and explosions. She had landed herself on a knoll beside the main battle grounds. Men were falling on both sides as they fired at each other. Battle cries mingled with the screams of dying men. The air was thick with smoke and the smell of gunpowder. It all had to be some kind of grisly nightmare.

Then, something monstrous came over the opposite mound. A tank.

She had been frozen where she stood, but the atrocity firing into the fray, the horrific sight of men disintegrating, regardless if they were friend or foe, snapped her from her stupor and pushed her to act.

This massacre was _supposed_ to happen. Blood was set to be spilled… but her morals wouldn't let it. She ran into the chaos.

' _You're not even supposed to be here!_ ' Something screamed in her head.

 _No._ She couldn't do nothing while people were being massacred mercilessly. She wouldn't.

So she let the flood gates open and let as much interdimensional energy flow through her as possible. Her vambraces glowed white hot.

The HYDRA soldiers that had accompanied the tank gave her a target aside from the monstrous machine. She built energy at her fingertips before shooting bolts of magic at them. Her intention was simply to knock them out or stun them, but with the intensity of the magic that she had allowed to flow through her, she could have very well been killing them. She shoved the thought aside, not willing to dwell on it.

"Go! Run!" She shouted at the fearful soldiers to retreat.

With every shot, her limbs became heavier, but she pushed even harder. Every second she could give these men counted.

 _'Stop!'_

Suddenly, pain burst through her skull and shot down through the rest of her body, bringing her to her knees with a scream.

She never felt this kind of pain before. It felt like someone decided to pin her to the ground with knives. A weight settled on her chest and she couldn't breathe, let alone move.

She whimpered, curling into herself to try and gain some sort of comfort or relief. The pain wouldn't stop.

"Renny!"

A voice. An all too _familiar_ voice. The magic user cracked her eyes open. It took a few moments for her to lock her eyes with a pair that she was marginally happy and infinitely horrified to see.

 _No._

 _No no no._

How could she have been so stupid and careless?

The figure forced himself from the foxhole he was sheltered in, shrugging off the hands that were trying to pull him back down to relative safety.

A mechanical whine started, building in intensity. The tank was going to fire again.

 _Oh God._

Many people were going to die today. Will die today. Should have died today. But he wasn't. No way.

But now he was running. Running towards her. Right into the line of fire.

The agony then stopped abruptly. Instead of burning, the arcane energy ripping through her veins filled her with strength and vigor. The weight on her body lifted as air rushed into her lungs. Everything seemed to slow down around her as she pushed herself to her feet.

 _No way in hell._

She turned and faced the tank, the fire in her body now rushing to her hands. She grit her teeth.

"Fuck off."

Time sped back up to normal just as the shot was fired and she put up a shield.

'BOOM!'

The two energies collided and the shot sizzled, dispersing. However, the contact also produced a shockwave. It was so strong that those not directly behind the magic-user's shield were scorched by the excess energy. Her arms snapped back forcefully and the barrier held for a split second before it shattered and practically exploded into what looked like shards of glass that disappeared.

The force was enough to make Renny fly off her feet and tumble on the rough ground. Her vision switched at a dizzying rate, from gloomy sky and scarred earth over and over again until everything abruptly turned black when her head collided with a rock protruding from the ground.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Cliffhanger. Any comments regarding the action? I'm still not entirely confident about my action scenes, if they're urgent enough or written well enough. Anyway, thoughts? I'd love to know what you think of this chapter. Til next time~**_


	14. Hold of the Serpent

**_A/N: We had a little more Reeve, now here comes a little angsty Bunny._**

* * *

 **The Hold of the Serpent**

* * *

We'd been captured. God damn it all. Renny's light show had given time for a lot of the division to get away, but it wasn't enough.

They threatened us with their flashy weapons and shoved us into trucks. Renny almost got left behind, left for dead on the ground. I raised hell about it. She couldn't get left behind. Her head was bleeding and she was out cold. I was praying that she'd get at least some medical attention. Even the God damn Nazis wouldn't just let a woman bleed out, right?

But when she stayed unconscious during our capture, they just tied up her wrists and threw her with us into the back of a truck.

"What the hell?!"

"Bastards!"

"She's hurt!"

At least I wasn't alone. It looked like a few of the other guys who saw what she tried to do on the field were concerned too. Well, I think everybody was worried, it was just that most were still in shock. No one had ever seen a weapon that could blast people into ashes like that.

I made my way to Renny's form in the crowded space. One fella had gotten on his knees beside her first. I recognized the band around his arm.

Thank God.

"What's the situation?" I pulled off my jacket and put it under her head. Her hood was pulled back so the medic could have a better look at the gash on her temple.

"S-She… stitches," His voice cracked and his hands were shaking badly. The truck was also moving too much. He shook his head, apologetic, "I c-can't."

I nodded. Poor kid, at least he tried. The glassiness in his eyes let me know he really couldn't do this right now.

"You got bandages, right?"

He fumbled for a pouch on his belt, producing a white roll and almost dropping it. I took it from his shaking hands, giving him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder.

When I looked back down at Renny, she looked even paler than when I saw her last.

Seriously?

"God damn it." My fingers shook slightly when I pushed back her hair and saw just how deep the cut was. Breathing in deep, I steadied myself. The cut had to be cleaned or she'd get an infection.

"Anyone got their canteen?"

* * *

Over the course of the trip, it got colder. So we were going even further north.

I was able to maneuver myself where Renny now had her head on my lap. God knows I wanted to hold her closer, but my own injuries kept me from pressing her to my chest.

It was eerily silent. I think the reality of our situation finally sank in. We were most likely going to die. Who knew what was in store for us? We were in that truck for long enough that I knew we were at least 50 miles behind enemy lines. There wasn't going to be a rescue any time soon.

The grim thought made me hold Renny's hands tighter. She couldn't die. She was… she just _couldn't_.

She was a woman, they'd most likely keep her prisoner wherever we were going. Right? But what would that mean for her? That tank had killed off whoever was in the way, even if the soldiers were Germans. There was no mercy.

But she was a woman…

That was the feeble hope that kept repeating itself in my head. That they would treat her differently because. She. Was. A. Fucking. _Dame_!

Women were supposed to be protected. Respected. It was an unspoken rule.

But…

This was war. Lines were always blurred and these guys didn't seem to care about crossing them. Renny'd also proven herself as some kind of threat. She'd fought against them-

My thoughts ground to a halt as the truck finally stopped. The flaps of tarp were shoved open, revealing men in uniforms. Their eyes were hidden behind goggles and they had guns in their hands.

"Move!"

They roughly pulled the nearest men out of the vehicle, pointing their guns and shouting in German. It looked like they wanted us to go into this large building.

When it was my turn, they had to use extra force. I wasn't going to follow the line until I saw that they were going to help Renny.

"The woman there, she's hurt."

The bastards manhandling me didn't even flinch.

To hell with their guns.

I shrugged off their hold on me and managed to ram my shoulder into one of them, "Listen to me! That girl back there," I jerked my head toward the truck, "Someone needs to take a look at her-"

The butt of a gun hit my back, knocking me down. I couldn't understand German, but I could tell they were shouting threats and insults at me. I heard the click of someone readying to fire. Fuck.

"Stop!"

The command was heavily accented. Another man in uniform approached. The other goons pretty much froze at the sight of him. He must have been the one in charge of this whole shindig.

I sure as hell didn't want to ask for anything from a damn Nazi, but it was _Sunshine_ who was at stake here. I felt sure I'd hurt myself with how hard I was gritting my teeth to control myself.

"Please, sir," I ground out, "The woman back there, she needs a doctor to look at her." I kept my head down, cautious. I kept my eyes on the black boots in front of me.

There was a scoff, "I admire your grit, American," he said in a belittling tone, circling me like a predator, "thinking that you have any kind of power to make a request."

I was shoved forward into the gravel with a boot to my back. My hands curled into fists beside my head.

"Something you want to say?"

I couldn't antagonize him, even if I wanted to punch the God damn bastard in the face.

"She's bleeding and hasn't woken up."

There were a few seconds of silence where he probably, finally, looked into the truck.

God. Please.

"Ah. That woman." Something in his tone made me tense. "Consider it lucky that I already have plans for your friend. It is not because you asked, American, but Doctor Zola will be taking a look at her."

What?

The flash of teeth he showed couldn't be called a smile. It was too sinister. A chill ran up my spine.

"No... No!"

I thrashed and punched and tried to get to Renny while another pair of goons carried her away.

The man laughed. "Isn't a doctor what you were asking for?"

* * *

Waking up was slow.

My whole body ached. My head was pounding too. Everything seemed off… foggy. Ugh.

When I finally decided to open my eyes, I was in some kind of concrete cell. The high window was barred and a grayish light came through. The door to the room was heavy iron.

Panicked at the implications, I shot up.

Or tried to.

The motion made me groan and clutch at my head. Everything spun for a few moments and I choked. God, I wanted to throw up.

There was another groan that sounded, this one metallic, and I could only assume someone opened the door. The sound hurt my ears and made me feel even more nauseated. I heaved.

Immediately a bucket was placed in front of me. I grabbed it and held it between my knees and retched.

Someone rubbed circles in my back and the motion made me want to relax a little but something raised my hackles at the same time.

Most of what greeted me was water and stomach acid, I hadn't eaten anything in a while.

I coughed, pushing the bucket away and trying to get rid of the burning in my throat.

"Easy, child. You've had a concussion."

The voice was accented. A man's voice. His tone was the same as the touch on my back. It was an attempt at being soothing, and my body wanted to respond to it accordingly. My mind was stubborn though, something was telling me this was wrong. I needed to be wary.

When my nausea abated enough for me to look at the man who had spoken, it wasn't what I expected from the uneasiness stirring in my gut. He was a small man. Balding and with thin, round-framed glasses.

I felt confused.

I felt like I knew him… but I knew I never met him either. I felt an extra pain in my head again when I tried to remember.

"Who-?" I whispered, clutching at the side of my head. I could feel the bandage there that I hadn't noticed earlier.

"Doctor Zola." He put a gentle hand on my head, checking on the bandages. "I apologize for the grim accommodations, this is a factory, not a hospital. We rearranged a storage room for you."

Satisfied with what he saw, the doctor nodded, "I have been in charge of your treatment. You had a large gash on your head that needed stitches."

"Stitches…" I tried to reach through the fog in my head for answers. Why was it so hard to think? "I remember…" Explosions and gunfire. Screaming.

"Yes." I must have muttered the latter out loud. The man, Zola, was looking at me strangely, "A few days ago, our soldiers found you unconscious in the middle of the battlefield."

The statement rang true to me… but why did it feel like it was only part of the truth?

"Are you a soldier? Why were you there?" The doctor queried.

"I'm... not. I… I was… I was helping a… friend." My hesitation disturbed me. Why couldn't I answer him precisely? It was a simple question. Not knowing scared me. Unconsciously, I rubbed at my forearms. The skin felt bare even if I was wearing a long-sleeved tunic. The doctor gave me another strange look.

The pounding in my head increased and when I put my face in my hands, I had to flinch at the sting of a bruise around my eye that reached back to my temple. Something about that particular injury made something in me panic.

"Easy."

I think I started to hyperventilate.

"Do not force yourself to think too hard." The doctor put firm but gentle hands on my shoulders. "Like I said. You have a concussion along with your head injury. This could explain your states of panic and confusion, as well as the nausea and headaches you are experiencing."

I looked at the man again for reassurance, trying to regulate my breathing. Right now, he was my only source of information. I had to make do.

"You should regain clarity with more rest. Take these, they should help with the pain." He held out a hand, two pills on his palm.

Reluctantly, I nodded and took them. He gave me a glass of water to gulp it down. I did.

He did various doctor things, checking my blood pressure, listening to my heartbeat and breathing, rechecking my bandages. After fifteen minutes, the pain in my head eased, and my breathing eventually slowed, but my body still felt exhausted. A hand guided me back down to my cot, and I didn't resist. My eyes slowly fluttered closed.

"Rest now."

Maybe the doctor was right about one thing, I needed to rest first. Then I could really figure out what was going on. Everything about the situation I was in was rubbing me the wrong way, but logically, I couldn't do anything about it until I felt well enough to investigate.

As my mind was drifting, something told me to go over what I'd managed to learn.

 _I was found on a battlefield._

 _I'm in a factory._

 _I have a head injury._

 _The man treating me is Doctor Zola._

My fingers ghosted onto the skin of my face, around my eye. The particular injury really bothered me.

What did I remember?

 _I was on the field to help a friend._

That one fact seemed to connect with the previous things.

 _My friend…_

Just the thought of him felt like an anchor. _Him_ … a name echoed in the deep recesses of my mind, but I couldn't hear it.

I chased the feeling while battling with the urge to just sleep.

 _'Good morning, Sunshine.'_ This voice was playful and soothing.

Sunshine.

That's… my name... I think. It felt right. As right as everything else felt wrong right now.

I held onto the thought as I finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

My dreams were filled with blue eyes, sly smiles, and flashes of things that made me both sad and scared.

* * *

"It seems the testing worked. Her head injury made it much easier to wipe her memories. However, she still has doubts. I believe they were deeply ingrained enough to bleed through her memory loss." Doctor Zola reported when he left the young woman to rest her cells. "I will need to do further testing on another subject using the machine to fine tune it before we use it on the woman again."

"Fascinating indeed." It was like his superior wasn't really paying attention. The other man was replaying the video that had been captured at Azzano. A figure was turning and waving her arms almost wildly on the screen. Shots of bright energy were being fired into the fray, but her hands were empty of any weapons. It was the bands on her arms that glowed with the same light as the shots she fired.

When she had faced the HYDRA tank and attempted to shield soldiers from a head-on attack, her eyes glowed.

Zola knew better than to comment on the distraction, he simply continued his report, "I also tested the bronze arm guards," The doctor continued, gesturing to said artifacts on the table close to the screen, "They do not give any energy signatures whatsoever. But… may I?"

His superior finally looked at him and nodded. The doctor picked up the vambraces, placing them on another metal table. From the pocket of his lab coat, he pulled out a cylinder that contained blue energy extracted from the tesseract. When he placed the glass tube closer to the vambraces, the energy inside seemed to swirl and glow brighter. The markings on the metal arm guards themselves glowed slightly.

"Some of the runes are similar to Norse symbols we found at the church where the tesseract was hidden. I believe the artifacts do not have any energy of their own but assist the woman in controlling hers."

Johann Schmidt's eyes practically glittered with intrigue, his lips parting in a delighted smirk, "Tell me when the little valkyrie wakes again."

* * *

I'd been locked up for maybe three days. It didn't seem to matter how much sleep I got, I felt somewhat fatigued all the time. The confusion and foggy memories were slowly clearing up though, but I didn't let the doctor know too many details. Something made me feel that there was something he was hiding. He wasn't someone to be trusted.

"Your injuries are healing very quickly. You will not need the bandages soon." Zola said after wrapping a new set of clean bandages on my head. I nodded, almost inaudibly thanking him.

"I also noticed that you seem to have a tic," The doctor had come to visit me again. He gestured to me rubbing at my forearms. I couldn't get over the feeling that there was something missing.

I was seated on a cold metal examination table. A shiver ran up my spine from something other than the chill in the air. I was moved to another room so the doctor didn't have to carry whatever instruments with him. It was a lame excuse.

"Are you feeling pain?"

I shook my head, "I feel like… something is missing." I said, looking at the pale scarred skin. My brows furrowed as I tried to search my brain for an answer.

The doctor nodded, gesturing at one of the men in the room. "These, perhaps?"

After a moment, a uniformed soldier had stepped through the door, holding a tray with a pair of bronze vambraces.

 _Yes!_

My eyes locked onto them eagerly. I knew what they were the moment I saw them. Just the sight of them cleared away even more of the fog in my brain. If I was able to put them on…

"You were wearing them when we found you."

"I-" I gulped. They couldn't know how important they were. "Was I?" I lied. I could feel the tug. They were mine.

 _Mine._

"M-May I have a closer look at them?" My hand was outstretched, fingers almost itching to touch the burnished metal.

"Of course." Zola was hiding a tinge of curiosity and eagerness in his tone. "Perhaps... they will jog your memory. "

* * *

The artifacts were cool under her fingers. Unconsciously, her shoulders relaxed and she let out a long breath.

Behind the large glass pane, Schmidt watched in anticipation, "She knows what they are."

"You know what they are…" Zola muttered.

The young woman froze.

There was a split second when she and Zola simply stared at each other, the next moment… chaos.

She managed to grab one of the vambraces, jumping back and snapping it on.

"No! Don't!" Zola held up his arms, in the middle of the young woman who held up a hand, fingers curled and claw like, and one of the HYDRA soldiers who was pointing his gun at her.

Her mind was rushing at the situation, clearer than ever since she'd first woken up here.

"Now, now. Everyone should just calm down." A voice cut through the tense silence.

It sent shivers up the young woman's spine. When she looked to the door at the side of the room, there stood none other than Johann Schmidt himself. Leader of HYDRA, the Red Skull.

Memories flooded her brain quickly… maybe too quickly. The world around her spun and she collapsed to her knees, yelping and clutching her head. Partly because of the onslaught of information, more because she suddenly processed what situation she was in.

"Your memories have returned, little valkyrie?" It was more a statement than a question.

A gloved hand grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to look into dark eyes. The fear in her own grey blue orbs as she stumbled back made him laugh, "They have." There was no use denying it.

Renny shakily brought her hand up again, this time allowing the meager amount of magic she had regained to gather at her fingertips. It swirled erratically.

"Valkyrie indeed." Schmidt marvelled, eyeing the display, seemingly oblivious to the threat she posed.

She made a fist with her other hand, realizing in horror that her sling ring was absent. She cursed softly, hating the fact that she had relied on the ring for portal casting. She had not practiced teleportation spells or any such magic with her vambraces. She never needed to.

Gathering her courage, she tried to sound as confident and threatening as possible, "Let me go before you regret it." Something was wrong with her magic. It was taking everything just to control the illusion of something dangerous. Sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Go? If you had the strength to leave, you already would have." Schmidt said in a patronizing tone. "And," The man grinned excitedly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small glass tube. It glowed blue.

Both the tube and the magic on Renny's hands glowed brighter when he tossed it toward her. When it was a foot away, the tube shattered and the magic on the young woman's fingertips snapped out of existence with a crack.

Renny yelped and held her now scorched hand to her chest. "What?" She whispered in shock and confusion.

"It looks like your magic does not react well to Tesseract energy." Schmidt observed smugly, his theory confirmed. "Tell me, little valkyrie, what else can you do?"

Fighting against her fear, she bared her teeth, "I'd rather die than show you." Renny hissed defiantly. Schmidt could never know how to access the power of arcane energy. The results would be catastrophic.

He smirked. "Ah, perhaps you are ready to die, but would you let your American friend?"

 _No…_

Through the door to the room, two soldiers came in, dragging a limp body between them and dropping the figure on the floor.

Her blood turned into ice. "Bucky!" Renny lunged forward. Schmidt grabbed her by the arm as she passed, pulling her to himself.

"What did you do?" She growled, gritting her teeth.

He feigned mock hurt, "What _I_ did?" The man roughly turned her to face her friend who was sprawled on the floor, bruised and cut up, "Nothing. Nothing at all. It was he and a few of his compatriots who decided to overthrow one of my overseers. He did this to himself."

Renny tugged at her arm, wanting to just attend to her friend, but Schmidt's hold grew tighter. "I am not sure he will last much longer if we throw him back to working in the factory."

The young woman tensed and slowly looked to the German. "If you cooperate, Doctor Zola will see to him."

This…

This was why she couldn't get attached.

"N-No…" Renny struggled to get the word past the lump in her throat. Her heart broke in her chest and tears built in her eyes. She shook her head frantically, "You- I-I… C-Can't…"

Schmidt knew he had her. She wouldn't really resist. The girl was only in denial. She was simply at war with herself over allowing them to find out her secrets and protecting her friend. It didn't matter if she agreed or not, there were ways to make people break.

He was grinning in satisfaction, Doctor Zola would have a new test subject for his machine, and he had another potential source of godly power.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thoughts? Leave me a review. Til next time!~**_


	15. Venom

**_A/N: Still with HYDRA, so everything's still kinda angsty, don't hate me._**

* * *

 **Venom**

* * *

They put us in cells across from each other. Near enough to know how the other was but with enough distance between us so we couldn't do anything.  
 _  
Bastards._

They knew I wouldn't risk attacking if it meant putting Bucky on the line. He wouldn't take the chance that they'd do something worse to me as well. I was torn. I couldn't let HYDRA gain knowledge about the arcane or accessing interdimensional energy. But… I couldn't let them kill Bucky either.

So I bore it as gracefully as I could.

The experimentation was brutal, but I didn't stop them from poking and prodding me. Zola tried different methods of torture to try and force some kind of defensive magical reaction from me. I guess I was somewhat lucky that my reserves had been drained before my capture, or I might have done something stupid without really meaning to.

Without the vambraces, I couldn't properly channel arcane energy. I didn't give Zola any significant reaction other than my screams and whimpers of pain because magic had to be consciously controlled. It wasn't really a mutant power or something that reacted to emotions or bodily harm unless a defensive spell had already been previously cast. It frustrated the Red Skull to no end.

Still… the insane leader of HYDRA was determined.

They threw me into my cell after another round of torture and experimentation that left me exhausted. My only consolation was that they hadn't touched Bucky while they did what they wanted to me. Plus, the cold stone floor felt soothing on my feverish skin. They'd chosen electrocution today. I stayed curled on the ground, more than ready to just drift off.

"The doctor says you need time to heal properly before you can show us your power. Not to worry, I am a patient man. There are other endeavors we can pursue while we wait." Schmidt informed me coldly.

I heard him walk away. When it was silent again, I breathed out a sigh of relief. It would probably take me days to recover enough to use any spells with what arcane energy in my veins keeping me from succumbing to their torture.

"Hey, Sunshine." Bucky. "Hey, doll. Come on." He was starting to sound worried.

I wanted to tell him that I was fine. But I just... I just wasn't. I didn't even have the strength to give him a wave. "Tired." I managed to breathe out. It was a miracle he heard me.

"Okay. Can you move? I'm sure that lumpy mattress in there isn't much better than the floor, but you can rest a bit better. Come on, doll. I'd carry you if I could, but… Please, it's just barely three feet." Bucky said in an encouraging voice. He'd always said things like this when they I was thrown back in my cell.

I wanted to cry. They were going to move on to experimenting on him now because I wouldn't give them anything. Despite that, Bucky was still worried about _me_. It was why I always made an extra effort to do the little things that would reassure him, even if a lot of it was for my own good. Forcing myself to eat a little more of the stale bread they were giving us so we wouldn't starve, giving him a smile and telling him I was fine when I really felt like I was going to crack, dragging myself to my cot so I wouldn't look like such a miserable lump on the floor.

This time though, all I could manage was pulling half my body onto the low cot before I passed out.

* * *

Yelling. It was what startled me awake.

"Get off me," Bucky growled.

 _Oh no…_

Already?

How long was I out?

I stumbled to the front of my cell. "Bucky," I practically whimpered. It made him stop his struggling and shrug the goons off him to turn to where I was leaning on the bars. A HYDRA soldier hit him with the butt of his gun while he was distracted. Bucky slammed painfully into the metal bars of my cell.

"Hey, Sunshine." His smile was broken by a wince.

"Bastards!" I hissed, holding Bucky by the arms. I glared at the goons, before looking back at the somewhat dazed man in front of me. He was a bit pale, rings starting to form under his eyes. He wasn't getting the rest he needed. God…

When the goons tried to pull him away and get him moving, my arms wrapped around Bucky tightly, scared out of my wits for him. "No. No, please."

It was supposed to happen. But…

I didn't want it to.

One of the goons tried to hit me through the bars. I didn't let go. I could hear German shouts while I was hit again and again. I wouldn't let go.

"Wait!"

I looked up to see Bucky glaring as fiercely as he could at the goons. "Wait, alright?"

Surprisingly, the HYDRA soldier lowered his gun. Bucky turned back to me, his blue eyes looking resigned but determined.

"I'll be fine, Sunshine." He whispered, "Let me go."

I just squeezed harder and buried my face into his chest, still in denial.

"Doll, you know I won't let some Nazi do me in. I'll be okay." He said soothingly, putting one hand on my head and the other on one of my arms. He repeated, his voice slightly muffled when he nuzzled his nose into the hair on the top of my head, "I'll be okay." .

My grip loosened slowly, but the goons didn't have the patience for me to fully let go. Bucky's arms slid down and away as he was wrenched roughly from me.

I watched forlornly as he was taken down the hallway, my grip on the bars turning my knuckles white.

Just before he disappeared around a corner, Bucky gave me a meaningful glance, mouthing one word.

 _Go._

I stared at the end of the hallway for a long time. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't leave. I couldn't use any magic. And he knew I wouldn't just leave him. I wouldn't.

* * *

Screams.

Bucky's screams.  
 _  
Oh God._

I snapped out of my thoughts. I'd been so stuck in my head, who knew how long I stayed frozen. I felt utterly useless at that moment. Wrapping my arms around myself, I squeezed hard, trying to hold myself from completely shattering.

His yells echoed down the hall again.

Tears slid down my face now and I cried.

Any strength that I managed to regain bled away, my knees buckled and I sobbed against the steel bars.

 _Useless._

 _Why was I even here?  
_  
It was when I collapsed to the ground in a shaking mess, I felt something small poking into the side of my leg. My fingers slid into the pocket of my pants, wrapping around the object. Immediately, I knew what it was even before I held it in front of my face.

My heart clenched, knowing what I had to do. Maybe I couldn't use my magic, but with my sling ring…I fell into an indecisive stupor.

 _Should I stay?_

 _Or go?  
_

Suddenly, the sound of stomping boots thumped down the hallway. Were they coming back for me? I didn't have any more time to think. I had to leave, didn't I? Letting HYDRA get their hands on my magic was _not_ an option-

Then Bucky's screams echoed down the hallway again. I bit my lip, tripping back just as the soldiers reached my cell.

The entrance slammed open and they ran inside, yelling. They flipped my cot over roughly then ran out and looked up and down the hall. I watched as they scrambled, speaking to each other in frantic tones and pointing to different ends of the hall. They split up and hurried off.

When everything was quiet again, I slowly exited my cell. My footsteps echoed louder than they should have as I trudged down the corridor, dragging my feet on the stone.

Like a magnet, I was drawn to a specific hall. I reached a heavy door and placed a hand on it. I couldn't open it from here. Luckily enough, a HYDRA soldier was hurriedly marching to the same door. When he opened it, I stepped through and to the side, leaning back against the wall with my eyes closed. I listened as the goon gave a rushed report.

"What?!" Zola exclaimed in a panicked voice, "He will not like this." The doctor muttered to himself. There was a pause, some rustling, before Zola and the goon's footsteps marched toward the door. It slammed shut. "Stay here and watch the door. We can't lose another one." I heard the doctor order through the door. This time, only one set of footsteps slowly faded away.

It took me a while, but I forced myself to open my eyes. I felt my knees go weak and the air leave my lungs. Further in the room was Bucky, strapped down to a chair.

 _The_ chair.

I collapsed to the ground beside his unconscious form, noting the fresh bruises around his eye and temple. My heart shattered.

 _I could have stopped this_.

I could have.

Using my arms to cushion my head, I settled as close as I could to Bucky. My cheek was brushing his arm, but I couldn't feel any of his warmth. Neither did he feel my shaking hands on top of one of his. He didn't feel the wetness of the tears I couldn't stop. I was torturing myself with Bucky being right beside me, and yet a dimension away. I wanted to run and spare my heart from hurting so much at seeing him in such a state. But I couldn't leave him either.

I cried myself to sleep in the mirror dimension.

* * *

It was the middle of nowhere. Mountains were blanketed in snow and sparse groups of trees grew here and there. For miles and miles around, there was not a man-made structure in sight. All was quiet except for the sound of wind blowing.

It was a grey afternoon when a crackling sound broke through the silence, followed by a stifled sob. Renny landed harshly on her hands and knees, breathing out when the portal she used closed behind her.

Friendship could be a powerful thing that bound people together. People could endure outrageous things when it came to those they cared about, but even the strongest of us could wear down over time. Renny started hitting the trunk of the tree in front of her with her fists, punching until her knuckles were raw. She hoped the pain in her hands would keep her mind from the horrible pain in her chest. That the cold of the snow would numb her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…" She repeated the words like a mantra when she couldn't lift her arms anymore.

To ease her guilt of not being able to do much, she had used her body as a conduit to channel the magic she did manage to recover to heal Bucky as well as a few of the soldiers who were captured. She thought it best to keep her reserves practically running on empty just in case deciding to stay got her captured again.

It was taking its toll on her. Her veins constantly burned without the vambraces that regulated her magic. She always felt exhausted. When she pushed her body too far, she would fall back into the mirror dimension to sleep for days.

She needed to breathe. She needed to be away from everything for just a while. Just a little while. Exhausted, she slumped to the ground.

When she regained consciousness, her body was covered with a thin layer of snow. The grey sky had turned darker.

She had to go back.

She just _had_ to.

It was completely stupid and illogical, but she _had_ to. Judging by the dimming light, it must have been late enough for Zola to be finished with his work for the day. The steadying breath she took before she opened another portal didn't really help.

* * *

She stalked through the mirror dimension to reach the room where Bucky was.

The lab was empty. Zola did leave for the day. Bucky was there though. Left strapped down to a table.

She stepped out through a wall of glass, to the same dimension her friend was. The door to the lab was shut and locked behind her, so she would hear if somebody was about to enter.

She breathed in shakily and stepped forward. She could hear Bucky muttering again. His eyes didn't see her even if she stood right by the table.

Renny reached out and held his hand in both of hers. "Buck…" she sniffed. He continued muttering. Still out of it.

Her throat was still raw from sobbing earlier. Besides, she didn't want to cry in front of him. Not when he was the one going through whatever Zola was doing.

She smiled, though the pain was obvious, "Okay."

Her knees were shaking. She hated seeing him like this. Pulling a metal tool cart closer to herself, she pushed some of the implements to the side and sat down on the cleared space before her knees actually gave. She used one hand now to continue holding Bucky's, using the other to run her fingers soothingly through his hair.

"You… are my… sunshine…" She started singing. Though they were more like pitched whispers instead of an actual melody. Putting her focus on the song would distract her a bit from the pain that was stabbing through her chest.

As she continued, Bucky's eyes slowly focused on her. His hand tightened slightly on hers, and he smiled.

"You know… I should be… the one sing-singing that, r-right?" He managed to say hoarsely.

Renny chuffed a laugh, stifling a sob. Her eyes still glistened though.

"Rest." She said simply, afraid that opening her mouth to say more would just give an opportunity for the sobs again.

"Don't put me to sleep, doll." Bucky pleaded.

Renny just smiled sadly. Her fingers glowed as she ran her fingers through Bucky's dark hair one more time. His eyes fluttered closed against his will. The most she could do for him was let him sleep dreamlessly and heal superficial wounds that wouldn't be noticed. She couldn't do too much, because if Zola started noticing that Bucky could handle more testing with his body recovering quicker, the doctor would definitely do even more extensive experiments.

As Bucky slept, she sat by him. Renny's fingers continued combing through his hair. It was more for her comfort than his though as if to continually remind her that Bucky was still hanging in there.

She looked up to the small high window on the wall, the light slowly disappearing. She could see a forest of trees stretching in the distance.

"Hurry Steve." She muttered, eyes tracing the curves of the mountains beyond. Last week, it only took a verse to pull Bucky back. Now… she got through almost the whole song. Whatever Zola was doing to her friend was working.

"Please hurry."

* * *

 _ **A/N: So much angst, I promise it gets better. Til next time!~**_


	16. Deliverance

**Deliverance**

* * *

More than three months. He hadn't seen his friends for more than three months.

He was worried about Renny. Before she popped up to visit him after one of his shows, she sent him a note or souvenir every other week. She hadn't written to him in two months.

He missed Bucky too of course, but there wasn't anything he could really do about that. His pal was out fighting in the war and serving his country.

Good for him… and here he was, performing like a dancing monkey. This was the first time he'd tried to do his show for soldiers though. It was clear they just weren't interested. They just wanted the girls.

It was while he was sketching out his frustrations that Peggy found him.

"You were meant for more than this, you know." She told him.

Steve fidgeted like he wanted to say something.

"What?"

His gaze settled downward, somewhat melancholy, "You know, for the longest time I've dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines… serving my country. I finally got everything I wanted… and I'm wearing tights-"

His musing was interrupted by a loud beeping. A commotion started near the tents as they unloaded injured soldiers and rushed them inside.

"They look like they've been through hell…" he said.

 _And I should be out there helping them._

Peggy looked to the commotion and commented, "These men more than most." When Steve looked at her, a questioning look in his eyes, she told him about Schmidt and Azzano. "Two hundred men went against him… and just over fifty returned." Steve looked away. "Your audience contained what was left of the 107th…"

That suddenly caught the blond's attention and he rushed to Colonel Phillips's tent.

"Well, if it isn't the star-spangled man with a plan. What is your plan today?"

Steve hurriedly asked for the casualty list from Azzano, asking for Bucky, but the Colonel wasn't having any of it.

"I've been dealing with the medics telling me many of the survivors are delirious about seeing some kind of angel on the battlefield, poor saps. Also, I've signed more of these condolence letters than I've cared to count, But the name does sound familiar-"

Steve felt numb.

"I'm sorry."

When he found out that a rescue wasn't being planned for the others who survived and saw the map the Colonel was looking at, he made a decision.

He couldn't accept that Bucky was dead. If he guessed right, only Renny could have been that "angel" because of course she found her way overseas. Both of his friends needed him. He didn't become a soldier to be a chorus girl, as Colonel Phillips put it.

He would save those soldiers and if there was even the slightest chance that either one of his friends was alive, he'd get to them.

* * *

It was the sounds of grunts and bodies hitting the floor that made Renny perk up. Seeing her tense, and hearing the disturbance as well, the captured soldiers shuffled in their cells.

"Steve…" she muttered softly. Relief flooded her at the thought that their rescue was finally at hand.

"Who are you supposed to be?" The soldiers looked to the upper floor, to a familiar red, blue and white uniform.

"I'm, uh, I'm Captain America."

Renny was at the lower level, where the cells were. She'd been outside one, reaching through the bars to help a man who had a serious wound. She rushed to the cell with the soldiers looking up.

"Steve!" She managed to whisper-shout, sticking her face between the gap in the bars to glimpse her friend who was crouched down. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. She smiled, lips quivering and moisture gathering at the corners of her eyes.

"Bangles!" He breathed, in disbelief that HYDRA had actually gotten a hold of her. It was definitely her, even if he could only see half her face. Her outer coat was missing, so were her actual bangles. It looked like she'd found something to make a scarf out of and pulled it up around her hair and below her eyes.

Quickly, he moved to set the soldiers free, going down to the lower level. Renny couldn't stop herself from running straight to him and latching her arms around him in a tight hug. Steve wrapped one arm around her and squeezed briefly.

"Renny…" he said soothingly, but the urgency of the situation bled into his tone as well.

Right. Reluctantly, Renny let go. She made one small step back and nodded. Steve immediately gave the soldiers instructions to cause as much chaos outside as possible and to head for the tree line.

Renny had shrugged off offers from the other men to accompany them out and stuck close to Steve's side.

Close up, he could see the dark circles under her eyes. The stormy grey-blue looked dull and haunted. Even in the dim light, he could make a healing bruise around her eye, reaching toward her temple. The start of a cut peeked out under the cloth on her cheek. He was sure there were more hidden beneath the cloth. The thought made him frown.

"You should go with them, Renny," He tried one last time, "Get to the trees-"

She adamantly shook her head. Her eyes lit up some with a spark.

"Not without Bucky." The young woman whispered. After a moment, Steve nodded. She would lead the way to the isolation ward the soldiers mentioned.

"Alright. But stay close." He held her arm firmly and squeezed it again before they separated from the others. "I'll meet you guys out in the clearing with anybody else I find."

"Wait, you know what you're doing?" Somebody asked.

Steve nodded, "Yeah, I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over two hundred times."

A little more life sparked in Renny as she chuffed beneath her scarf. She shook her head and kept pace with Steve as they both made their way deeper into the factory.

* * *

Steve took out HYDRA soldiers as they passed by machines, weapons, and ammo. He glanced at his companion once in a while, wondering why she hadn't made a single shot.

Was she hiding an injury? Maybe he _should_ have insisted on one of the soldiers taking her along with them.

His distraction almost cost him. Steve was surprised when they rounded a corner to a long hallway and she landed a punch on an oncoming soldier's face, just enough to stun him so she could tug at his weapon. Steve knocked the soldier out with a solid hit from his shield.

"Thanks-"

He was cut off when he caught sight of Zola scurrying out of a door. Steve held the doctor's gaze for a split second before they both ran.

The blond had stopped beside the door Zola came out of when Renny caught up to him, touching his back to get his attention. He looked to her and she simply tilted her head slightly, indicating the room. He nodded and carefully crept inside, ready for anything.

Indistinct muttering reached his ears. Taking a few cautious steps further in, he spotted an incoherent Bucky who was lying strapped to a table.

Immediately, he rushed to the table to his best friend. Bucky had a similar bruise on his face that Renny had.

"Get him out." He heard his other friend say, but when he looked up, she was gone.

* * *

The remains of the factory served as a bonfire in the background. Steve made his rounds among the rescued soldiers after they took care of the rest of the HYDRA soldiers that hadn't managed to flee.

Bucky, tired and weak as he was, also walked among the men, blue eyes searching for someone in particular.

When he'd learned from Steve that Renny had been in the factory during the rescue and not far away and safe like he thought, he worried.

"She stayed for me, Steve. She could've gotten out, but she stayed. I thought I was dreaming whenever I saw her back there."

Before he had to see to how they could make their way back to friendly territory, the blond man had put a reassuring hand on his best friend's shoulder, "She's always been a tough gal, Buck. I'm sure she got out."

Neither of the two wanted to think differently…

But where was she?

As Bucky searched, he came across another familiar face among one of his fellow former prisoners instead. "Dugan!"

"Barnes!" The man raised an arm in greeting with a grin on his face. "Who knew it would take a man in a fancy costume to get us out of this hell hole."

"Yeah," Bucky chuckled, but it was back to business, "Hey, have you seen a woman with the other guys maybe? Light brown hair, dark eyes?-"

"The angel? Are you talkin' about the girl who used her fairy dust on us? She isn't with the Captain?-"

So she healed the other soldiers too? Damn… Renny really was a little _too_ caring sometimes.

"-that girl practically latched onto him when he showed up. Damn sweet if you ask me. He's one lucky fella."

 _What?_

"What?" Bucky's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't seen the two for months while he was at war. Were Steve and Renny-

His thoughts were interrupted by a crowd that had formed a little further away.

Following his gut, Bucky quickly made his way past the other men. In the middle of the crowd was a figure huddled into a ball. Her body shook despite the fire crackling near enough to heat up the air enough that it wasn't chilly. Her usual hood and coat were gone, revealing a thin grey tunic. A makeshift scarf wrapped around her neck and obscured part of her face. The yellow light of the fire glinted off of something she had curled her body around- her vambraces.

Bucky pushed forward more forcefully. She needed them on.

When he managed to kneel beside her, another man was examining the bandage on her head.

"Sunshine. Why are you always unconscious?" Bucky muttered. He noted how her hair was now more ash than brown as he went to take the vambraces from her hands. When his fingers tried to pull the arm guards from her, she wouldn't let go and curled even more.

"You found her?" Steve appeared, kneeling beside him.

"She needs these to get better," Bucky informed the blond. "The crazy doc who was working on her said they have something to do with her energy." The sound of the dark-haired man's voice seemed to make her relax slightly, but he didn't notice.

Steve was the one to rub her shoulder, saying in a commanding tone he seemed to have picked up with his title of Captain, "Bangles. You gotta let go, alright?" His hand slid to one of her hands, and she let go of a vambrace after some coaxing.

Bucky mentally winced at an unfamiliar feeling slicing through his chest. Shaking it off, he was able to take the other arm guard and together with his pal, the two men secured one on each of Renny's forearms.

The woman let out a deep sigh and everyone seemed to let out a breath with her. Already she seemed more relaxed and her skin looked a little less pale.

"Alright, is everybody ready to move out?" Steve instinctively pulled Renny into his arms, knowing Bucky was still weak. Any of the adrenaline his pal had when they were getting out of the factory had surely run out. Bucky followed as Steve gently placed the woman in the back of one of the trucks they'd commandeered for the badly injured.

Just as he was about to hop back down, he saw the helpless look his friend was trying to hide. The blond knew the man wanted to do something, so he suggested, "Get in here, Buck. You can start marching when you get some rest. It's a long way back and someone should keep an eye on her."

A halfhearted refusal almost tumbled from his lips, but the effect of the experiments done on him suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. "Fine." He said in a stubborn tone.

Steve pulled Bucky up, doing the same for several others before he jumped back down to direct everybody else. The dark haired man silently went to sit by Renny before anyone else took the spot closest to her.

A mechanical growl sounded as the truck started. It idled for a few minutes before finally, they started rolling forward. The sighs of relief were audible now that they were moving, albeit slowly, keeping pace with the trudging steps of the soldiers on foot.

Exhaustion overtook Bucky then as he leaned back against the side of the truck. Sparing a look at the woman who was lying next to him, he took off the jacket he had grabbed when they were salvaging supplies from one of the factory's warehouses and draped it over her upper body. "We're almost home free, Sunshine. We're on our way out." His fingers brushed her shoulder and stayed there as he closed his eyes, finally embracing sleep. He was halfway gone in just a few moments, so he didn't notice when she shifted slightly toward his touch.

* * *

Four days. It took them four days to finally reach the camp. More than twice the usual time it took to march that distance. Still, it was fast considering there were a lot of injured and fatigued soldiers and they'd had to sneak through miles and miles of enemy territory.

Bucky had given up his spot in the truck to someone else as soon as he could start walking. He marched beside Steve the whole time he wasn't hanging back to check on Renny. Steve could only afford to check on her when their convoy stopped for a break. He knew he had to keep being the strength and direction for all the soldiers, not just his friends.

When the people at the Allies' camp caught sight of them, the awestruck soldiers crowded around, amazed that they'd survived their imprisonment and their return from behind enemy lines.

Peggy Carter was among the crowd, and she approached Steve with a smile.

Bucky was proud of his pal, was so _damn_ glad that everyone recognized his efforts… but a part of him felt a bit sad that most of what they saw was Captain America. Steve was already someone with a heart of gold and a will of steel even before he received his title.

Still…

"Hey! Let's hear it for Captain America!"

They all cheered.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Finally out of there, so the story can move on to two years of kicking HYDRA butt, but a little intermission in the next chapter. Thoughts? Recommendations? Constructive criticism? It'll be lovely to know what you think so far and if there are some things you want to see in this story. 'Til next time~**_


	17. Interlude

**Interlude**

* * *

Again, Renny woke up in a strange bed, in an unfamiliar room.

Mentally, she reprimanded herself about always getting into these situations.

The last thing she remembered was retrieving her vambraces and barely portalling out of the factory before the area she was in exploded in flames. The artifacts were in a strange glass box in a secured room. She was just lucky she'd had her sling ring.

She raised her hand to run through her hair, pausing when she felt a slight tug and pinch.

An IV. She sucked in a breath, panicking slightly because her last "medical treatment " had been from that HYDRA doctor. She was just about to forcefully remove the needle when a voice distracted her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, tough gal."

Renny's head shot up, her gaze meeting a pair of chocolate brown eyes.

 _Crap._

"Ah, so you do remember me. I told Carter I don't forget a face." Howard Stark had noted the look of recognition on her face. He stood in the doorway of her room, grinning. "You need to keep that in, you're still dehydrated." In his hands were her vambraces.

Refusing to let the man believe he was in any way successful at charming her, she simply sat up and held out her hand, giving him a glare.

 _Hand them over._

"Ah, don't be like that," Howard chuckled. "We had to check to make sure they didn't bug these." The man walked forward, holding out the artifacts.

Renny took them and secured them on her arms. Immediately, a soothing cool ran through her veins and made her sigh. Looking at Howard who was observing her, she gave him a reluctant nod of her head. "Thanks."

He grinned again, "Thankful enough to tell me how you did your disappearing trick?" He gestured to the vambraces. "Those are how you did it, right? I couldn't find any trace of technology in them. As far as I could tell, they're just bands of metal, but… I was able to detect a very weak energy signature. It's almost similar to the stuff Rogers brought back from the HYDRA facility."

 _Similar to tesseract energy? It was hiding an infinity stone, right?_

"Different source, promise." Renny rubbed her hands over the metal, relishing in feeling the smooth, familiar bronze.

"So…" Howard looked at her like a kid begging for candy, "You'll show me the disappearing trick?"

A sly grin bloomed on Renny's own face, "How about right now?" She said, whispering the arcane words that started the spell.

"Yes!" Howard leaned forward, eagerly observing her start to dematerialize, when he realized that she was going to disappear on him, "Wait- _no_!"

Like the first time he met her, Howard heard her titter fade away. He stared at the now empty bed in front of him, jaw dropping. "Carter is going to kill me."

* * *

Renny was able to grab her boots, her makeshift scarf, and borrow someone's coat as she found her way out of the house she had been in.

She examined the street she was on, looked both ways, and shrugged to herself. She turned right and pulled up her hood while she walked.

How long had it been since HYDRA? A week? Two? She had to get her bearings on the timeline soon. She felt tired, but restless, and didn't want to be cooped up in another room just yet, even when she was supposed to be recovering. Not until she knew just where her two boys were.

Something kept pulling her down the road she was on, and she learned early on to follow those kinds of pulls. Soon, she reached a vaguely familiar intersection. A cheery bar sat on one corner, music floating out the door and warm light spilling from its glass windows onto the street.

The woman walked up to the glass and looked inside. Patrons were singing a lively tune while someone played the piano, beer and alcohol were served and men laughed heartily while patting each other on the back, raucously telling stories. Then she caught sight of Peggy in her red dress, walking into the bar and everything calming down for a few moments. Steve was definitely a lucky guy. Renny's eyes followed the agent to another area of the bar and spotted the two she was looking for.

She smiled at the short interaction between Steve and Peggy, even chuckled. She was reminded just how hard she shipped those two way back when. Then she could read Bucky's lips when he told Steve, "I'm becoming you."

"Don't take it so hard," the blond patted his pal on the back then caught Renny's gaze through the glass, "Maybe she has a friend." Steve's blue eyes flicked in her direction and Bucky turned to spot her outside as well.

When he recognized her, there was a look that sparked in the dark-haired man's eyes, something that almost looked like-

Renny jumped back, feeling an emotion shoot through her. She scurried across the street to hide behind a corner, freaked out.

* * *

"Renny?"

Steve watched his friend's eyes brightened at the sight of the young woman. He chuckled when he saw her jump and disappear.

Bucky looked at Steve and noted the soft look in the blond's eyes. It was different from what he had sort of expected from Dugan's remark back at the factory. The sergeant was never one to beat around the bush, so he went right ahead, cleared his throat and asked directly, "So, Carter huh?"

Steve coughed and scratched the back of his neck, "Well, uh…"

Bucky grinned and laughed, part of him relieved and happy. That was as sure an answer as any, "You dog. Good choice!" It wasn't like he would have really opposed it if his two friends had gotten together. Steve deserved a great gal, just… Besides, he'd never really given any indication...

Grabbing his drink and finishing it off in one gulp, he straightened his shoulders, "Well, I'm going to get Sunshine. She needs to get out more anyway."

Steve smiled knowingly as he watched Bucky exit the bar while he waited for the round he'd ordered for his team. Bucky never needed liquid courage to go for a dame before. His pal's charm came naturally and he just went for it. Bangles was obviously different.

* * *

"No, Renny. _No_." The woman repeatedly thumped her head on the wall, tamping down the emotion that had caught her by surprise when it bloomed in her chest, "Stop. No-"

"Hey, Sunshine!"

 _Bucky._

His call made her instinctively pause and hesitantly peek out from the corner she was behind. When he looked in her direction, she flinched.

He'd definitely seen her. She should just portal away, but something kept her feet anchored in place. If she couldn't portal away, she wished she could just melt into the ground.

"Hey, Sunshine…" Bucky repeated when he was in front of her, his voice deep and soothing. "You should come and have a drink with us. The guys really should get to know who was helping us out while we were captured."

She shouldn't. She really shouldn't, but… Unsurely, she looked up at him from under her hood.

 _Big_ mistake.

The hopeful smile on Bucky's handsome face was making her melt. She should portal away... but she couldn't. Not with him looking at her like that.

His lips quirked up into a victorious grin, somehow knowing she wasn't going to disappear on him, "There she is." His hand reached up to her cheek under the fabric of her hood. His eyes softened at the grey orbs looking up at him from her shadowed face. "You know, you don't need to hide under a hood all the time, doll."

Her own hands tightened on the lapels of her coat, suppressing the feeling that was burning ten times as strong in her chest.

 _No._

When Bucky gently shifted his hand to brush off her hood, she flinched back and shook her head.

"Alright," He chuckled softly, "Alright." He knew he shouldn't push his luck too much tonight. Situating himself beside her, he held his elbow out, "Shall we?" He smiled a charming smile.

Hesitating for a moment, Renny just stared at his elbow, and after a steadying breath…

 _No._

She reached out and looped her arm through his.

* * *

"Gentlemen, I present to you, Perrenial Capelli." Bucky said grandly, nudging Renny forward to the table that held the team that would soon become the Howling Commandos. Steve was already seated too, getting to know the men he would be bringing along with him to take down HYDRA.

The woman blushed and punched Bucky on the shoulder. He just laughed. He knew she was a bit embarrassed by her full name but always enjoyed the reaction when she was flustered.

"The Azzano angel." Someone started.

"More would have been lost without you."

"Cheers, angel!"

"Angel?" Steve smiled, "Sounds appropriate."

Renny's blush deepened and reached up to her ears. She moved back behind Bucky, practically sticking to him and punching him again. "Hey! I wasn't the one who started it," he huffed, amused.

Falsworth cleared his throat and raised his hand, "Guilty, as charged, humble lady. I wasn't in Azzano, but I've heard all the stories and if you do recall, you helped me with this," he held out his arm, pulling up a sleeve to show a nasty scar. Morita whistled.

Falsworth continued, "So, I added the 'angel' part. Though if you dislike the moniker. I would understand. What should we call you?" He asked politely.

Before Steve, Bucky or Renny herself could actually say anything, someone else spoke up.

"How 'bout Perry?" Dugan suggested, scratching at his chin.

Renny tilted her head, contemplating. She guessed it could be her nickname around the soldiers. They could just call her "Renny" like Bucky and Steve did, but the name sort of fit and she liked it.

She nodded her head.

"Perry it is then!"

Bucky pulled out one chair for her and gave her a gentle push on her shoulders to sit her down. He took the seat beside her happily.

Dugan slid her and Bucky a beer each.

"To Perry!" The men raised their glasses.

Renny found their cheer infectious, and she smiled, raising her glass as well.

They cheered again, even louder, and gulped their drinks. Renny, having never really had alcohol, took a careful sip. She wrinkled her nose, but swallowed the liquid in her mouth and frowned in distaste. The men laughed good-naturedly and grinned at her attempt.

Morita chuckled, "A little strong, is it?"

"Maybe a cocktail for the lady?" Gabe Jones offered to go to the bar to get something else for her.

Steve watched Renny's mouth set into a determined line. "Bangles, no. You don't-"

The woman wrapped both hands around the beer in front of her and tipped the liquid down her throat, taking in big gulps. When the glass was practically empty, she huffed out a big breath and thumped her glass on the table, shuddering. She coughed once and glared at the men at the table. They were silent… that was until she grinned, or one could say grimaced, at them, "I think I can take another."

They cheered again and took more swigs of their own beer.

Steve shook his head, getting up to get a glass of water while Bucky wrapped an arm around Renny who'd sat heavily in her seat. "Easy on her now, fellas." He looked back, watching Renny's face turn pink already. He didn't mind the color on her or a reason to be close to her like this, but… Oh boy…

The captain returned with water, Bucky thanked his pal profusely, took the glass and urged Renny to drink it. She was compliant, wanting to wash the taste of alcohol out of her mouth.

"You okay, doll?" He squeezed her shoulder.

Renny nodded, sighing into her glass of water, feeling slightly queasy. "I'm never doing that again…" She leaned slightly into Bucky's side. Did alcohol work so fast? She wondered.

"Not until you learn to pace yourself," Steve reprimanded, putting another glass of water on the table in front of her. It looked like there was no more alcohol on the menu for her tonight. Renny didn't mind.

Bucky squeezed her shoulder as he chuckled, using his free hand to drink his own beer. The arm he had around her never really left and kept her steady for the rest of the night.

* * *

They didn't stay for too long. Maybe around an hour or so in and Renny was already nodding off, her tiredness finally overtaking her need to be out and about. The alcohol in her system only sped up the process.

"Looks like the princess needs her beauty sleep." Dugan chuckled lightly when Renny had curled into Bucky's hold, seemingly ignorant of the cheery sounds of the bar around her. The sergeant looked like the cat that had caught the canary.

"She must still be recovering," Falsworth concluded, observing the tired woman.

Morita nodded, "I'm guessing she actually snuck out. Captain?"

Steve looked to Renny, still snoozing away. "Yeah… she'd do that. Agent Carter _did_ say she needs to rest a little longer." He got ready to stand.

"Nah, you stay with these idiots a bit longer," Bucky spoke up, "I can take her back." He knew the way. The military had provided him and Steve with a shared rowhouse close to their main compound. They'd been staying there since after the rescue. Renny had spent a few days in their specialized medical facility before she was moved to her friends' guest room.

She jolted awake before Bucky could shift her body to carry her. "M' awake." She stood unsteadily, "Lesgo." Her arms wrapped around one of his and her forehead thumped on his shoulder.

"Easy, Sunshine." Bucky slowly led her out of the bar and onto the street. He had to watch his steps because Renny stuck close to his side and skitter-dragged her feet, barely half awake.

* * *

"Oh thank God. You found her!"

Bucky jumped slightly when the door to the house opened abruptly, Howard Stark in the doorway, looking somewhat frazzled.

The sergeant looked to his shoulder where Renny had buried her head, once again asleep. Being the gentleman he was, Bucky carried Renny piggy-back style when her steps had dragged to the point she almost didn't move. The woman practically fell asleep standing and had nuzzled her head on his shoulder when he positioned her on his back less than halfway to the house.

"Let's get her inside before Carter gets wind of this. 'Sides, the tough gal needs that IV in her arm."

Gingerly, Bucky climbed the short set of steps and went through the door. When he lay Renny down on her mattress, Stark reattached the tube to her arm while he took off her boots.

"The Cap's one lucky son of a gun, I'll tell you that." Stark mused, securing the needle with some tape. "You're lucky you get to work with this gal too. Well, women love the soldier type, I guess. Lord knows _my_ charm didn't work on her at that exhibition in Brooklyn."

Bucky paused in pulling up the sheets around Renny, "You've met her before?"

Howard nodded before smirking at the other man, "Wouldn't mistake her for another dame with that face, even if she was a redhead that night. Gorgeous, really. Nice dress and makeup too. Laughed and disappeared on me though."

Bucky suppressed the urge to wince and just finished tucking Renny in. He had precious few memories of Renny without her hood and the memory of her that night was marred by her frown and her anger at him. He envied Stark for seeing her dolled up and without her hood. The inventor had seen her laugh too.

Bucky gestured outside because honestly, Howard was a bit enthusiastic and loud voices could wake Renny up and he would feel better if the inventor was out of the room and not so close to her. Yes, that would be best… for Renny, of course.

"Once that's done," Stark gestured to the drip hanging from the IV stand, "She should be good to go."

"Thank you," Bucky said, genuinely grateful that Stark had reinserted Renny's IV, but feeling his hackles stay raised around the other man. He closed the door to Renny's room behind him.

"Guess I'll be seeing you around, Barnes. Gotta give a report to Carter before she finds out I lost tough gal for a few a while there."

The sergeant just nodded, a bit glad and relieved when Stark finally left through the front door.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Little intermission. There will be a little more fluff and awkwardness the next chapter, so expect that. Thoughts? Criticisms? Suggestions? I'd love to know what you guys are thinking. Til next time.**_


	18. Breathe

**Breathe**

* * *

"Think she's comin' Steve?" Bucky mused, making sure his rifle was ready and loaded.

"Can't see why not." Steve shrugged, "If she showed up all the way in Italy and stayed at the HYDRA base for you, of course she'll be at the raid." He said confidently, strapping his shield to his back.

"Who you talkin' about there, Cap?" Gabe Jones piped up.

The two shared a look and a sly smile, "Just a friend."

Dugan stood between the best friends and wrapped his arms around both their shoulders, "You two talkin' about Perry? I mean, come on, we've all met her. No need to be secretive."

Falsworth joined in the conversation, "If she does join us, her skills will be quite welcome. Aside from her medical talents, I've heard all the stories from the men who saw her at Azzano. Quite the show, they said."

The newly dubbed Howling Commandos climbed into the truck they would be using to get to the destination of their first mission.

"You fellas sure we shouldn't wait for Perry or something?" Morita asked, looking over his shoulder as though he would suddenly catch a glimpse of the said woman running down the street.

"No need." Steve assured them. Renny had disappeared a few days ago, leaving a note thanking those who treated her and her friends for taking care of her. He didn't worry because she had been off her IV already, and she got an extra few days of rest.

Bucky pat Morita on the shoulder, "She comes and goes."

Gabe nodded, "Better if she _doesn't_ show up. I wouldn't know how to feel about a dame around during a raid."

Steve could understand that notion, but he'd been surrounded by strong women his entire life- his mother, then Renny, and Peggy too. "Wait 'til you see her in action."

Bucky was frowning, he understood the notion as well and part of him agreed. Not that he didn't think Renny could handle herself, just that he didn't want her hurt and HYDRA had done a number on her when she was captured. She hadn't gone into details, but if it was anything like what they did to him, he didn't want her anywhere near the bastards again. Still, he knew she was much too protective of him and Steve to let them walk into a fight without her.

They didn't spot her during their first raid and Bucky was somewhat relieved by that.

They were on their second mission now and everything was going surprisingly well. They'd broken into the factory and destroyed the machines. They would blow it all up again when they were done, making sure that HYDRA couldn't go back to it.

It was when Dernier was setting up some explosives with the help of Morita when things went south. They were still getting used to the dynamics of working with each other and the volatility of what was being produced in the factories when an unplanned explosion went off.

"Shit." Morita cursed, grabbing his French companion and ducking for cover. Unfortunately, the first explosion set off several more, causing part of the upper floor to cave in, blocking their exit.

Even Dernier cursed. ' _Damn_ …' he thought, not even the third mission.

When the flames roared and were about to swallow them, they were just about ready to accept their fate. When the heat didn't burn, they looked up and saw a glassy barrier encasing them. The flames caressed the outside of the shield, deadly beautiful, and there too, with her hands raised, was a hooded figure.

* * *

"Morita! Dernier!"

"God damn Nazis and their self-destruct buttons." Dugan cursed, staring angrily at the part of the factory that had erupted in flames.

The other Commandos weren't sure what to do. The fire was too strong to try and get their comrades out. The men were staring forlornly at the blaze when something flickered in the middle of it.

"Son of a gun…" Gabe's jaw dropped when the silhouette of three people formed and out of the fire stepped who they thought were their fallen comrades, along with the woman he thought shouldn't be there. They looked rough but were unscathed by the flames.

Once they were out of harm's way, Renny dropped the shield, falling to one knee and breathing heavily.

" _Damn_ …" One of those explosions nearly made her magic backfire. It was laced with some tesseract energy probably from ammo that was going off. It only strengthened the unfortunate fact that the blue stuff didn't exactly mix well with her magic.

"Renny!" Bucky immediately went to her side, holding her by her upper arms to keep her steady, "You alright, doll?"

"M'F-Fine." She mumbled.

He noticed her stutter and the slight shake of her body. Renny was surprised when Bucky took one of her hands in his. "Cold," He muttered, taking off his jacket and wrapping her in it. He was just thinking about how she felt like ice when he first saw her when they escaped the first factory. She hid her face behind the jacket's collar, trying to disguise the blush on her cheeks.

* * *

Fire.

She stared at the bonfire the men had set up in the middle of their camp. They wouldn't trek down the mountain until morning came, so they'd made camp.

She glared at the flames while the others talked and Dernier cooked something in a pot. They wouldn't let her pitch in making her frown unhappily.

"She looks like a frustrated puppy in those blankets." Dugan chuckled heartily.

Her cheeks turned pink again underneath her hood. She'd stopped shivering from her weird chill an hour or so ago, but all the Commandos insisted that she bundle up. Why did they even have this many blankets? They'd gone on a raid, not a camping trip. She shuffled in her seat.

"Frenchie says she could be a croissant." Gabe laughed as he translated and Dernier grinned.

The heat on Renny's face went up to the tips of her ears and she clenched her fists.

They looked at Morita, "What? Don't expect me to say 'sushi roll'." He said blandly.

Bucky noticed how the magic-user tensed in her seat, "Fellas-"

The blankets fell flat on the ground, Renny having disappeared.

"You really oughta go easy on the teasing, guys." Steve ran a hand over his face.

"Great job." Bucky scowled.

"We've seen you two do it," Dugan reasoned, confused.

"Well, she's had years to get used to me and Bucky. She doesn't really, uh… show herself to other people." Steve said, scratching at the back of his neck.

"I saw her sparks somewhere over there," Bucky pointed towards the dark trees, "I better bring her something. Doubt she'll come back tonight."

Dernier sheepishly held out a metal cup that had some stew. Bucky took it tersely and headed for the edge of the clearing, disappearing into the forest.

"Sweet on her, ain't he?" Dugan commented with a chuckle, "You alright with that, Cap?"

Steve sat a bit straighter, "Ah, what? No! No, she's not, uh…. Not my girl."

"Really? With how she came running when you showed up to rescue us? She stuck to ya like butter on toast." Gabe raised an eyebrow.

"She's always been a big sister to me. Renny was just really relieved I showed up back then." Steve explained.

"Captain America's _'big'_ sister? Naw, she's a _lamb_ compared to you big guy! Have you seen yourself?" Dugan sounded incredulous.

Well… there was a point there. They'd never believe him anyway if he told them how she was actually bigger, height and weight-wise, than him before the serum.

* * *

She had been a shy girl. She'd always been a shy girl, even back home. That's why she didn't really make friends at Kamar Taj, and if she was honest, it was one of the barriers that kept her back from Steve and Bucky for a long time. Only her sense of duty and responsibility overrode her shyness. Her urge to be protective went into overdrive when she was around them too.

She sighed from her perch in a tree, she supposed running away was childish of her. Well… she could keep watch anyway. She made herself comfortable and looked out into the dark, her eyes adjusting. She should cast a trip wire spell around the perimeter, it would-

The snapping of twigs and crunch of leaves drifted to her ears and she tensed, squinting into the shadows. She relaxed some when her ears picked up some mumbling.

"It was around here… Sunshine?" A voice, unmistakably Bucky's, sort of whisper-shouted. It made Renny smile. "I got something for you! I know you're probably hungry."

She dangled her booted feet from her perch so her friend could spot her. He walked up to the base of her tree and took a seat on a nearby boulder. "Sorry about the others."

Renny shrugged even if he couldn't see it, "All that noise could have gotten you shot."

Bucky just smiled, glad Renny was still up to talk, "Nah, you wouldn't have let it happen."

The woman leaned on the trunk of the tree, focusing at the stars and not letting Bucky's words stir any of her fears.

He kept talking when she didn't reply, "You know Steve's probably chewing them out right now?"

He heard her chuckle softly and continued, "Doll, I know you're not used to other people, but if you plan on sticking around, you'll have to try to."

"I know-"

Something growled.

Bucky laughed and Renny grumbled, "Shut it, Pancakes."

His laughs toned down to a chuckle, "Hungry? Get down here, Sunshine." He brushed off the spot beside him on the boulder, "I did say I brought you something."

Renny hesitated.

"Come on. It's just us. 'Sides, it tastes better while it's warm." Bucky took a sip of the stew from the side of the cup before Renny plopped down beside him quietly. He could almost feel her frown at him, "Well, you _were_ taking your time."

Renny took the cup from him and used the spoon to scoop out some of the bits of meat in the stew. After a few bites, she sighed and took her own sip of the broth, humming. It felt good to have something warm in her stomach.

Bucky watched her lips linger around the spoon before his thoughts were cut short.

"Here," she said, trying to hand the cup back to him. "You should eat something too." She urged softly.

Shaking his head and putting his hands up he said, "No way, doll. It's all for you. I can get as much as I like back there and I don't feel like you'll be coming with me when I go later."

She stared at him for a moment before taking another bite. She shook her head.

"See? I'll wait 'til you finish so I can bring the cup back." Bucky said, subtly sliding his arm behind her, hand closer to her waist so she could rest her back.

It was a lame reason. She could easily just drop the dish back at camp in the morning, but he just wanted to stay near her and keep making sure she was okay.

Slowly, she pulled her legs up and leaned back into Bucky's arm. The moon and stars gave off enough light to see some of the details of the forest around them. The trees buffered the wind enough so it wasn't so chilly.

The two stayed in comfortable silence while she ate, her position having her lean slightly into Bucky's side.

"So…" He started, "I guess we'll be seeing you during the raids from now on?"

Renny nodded almost imperceptibly.

The silence continued for a moment before he sighed and continued, "Sunshine… You know you don't have to. It's going to be HYDRA we'll be going after…" he trailed off when he noticed the woman beside him giving a stare.

"They hurt everyone." She said simply, looking back in the direction of the camp. She gazed at him, "They hurt _you_." She set her food down and sidled closer to Bucky. _'But you're all here anyway. So, why shouldn't I be?',_ the words went unsaid. She wrapped her own arms around him in a tight side hug.

When her hands touched his left arm, still flesh and blood, she held on tighter. She wanted to say that she wouldn't let them hurt him like that again… but that was impossible.

Something cold was trying to grip and claw at her heart and she wanted to drive it away with Bucky's warmth.

The man felt her burrowing into his side and gladly obliged. His arm that was just serving as a support, now wrapping around her back and pulling her closer to him.

"Guess we're all idiots then," Bucky muttered, relishing the moment of warmth, calm, and quiet. After a few minutes, he could feel the woman relax in his hold, her breaths becoming deeper and slower. He smiled softly and kissed the top of her head, letting her sleep looking out at the shadows.

* * *

An hour passed before Renny stirred, feeling more rested than she had in a long time. Curling to her side, she snuggled into her pillow.

 _Wait…_

 _Pillow?_

"Uh, d-doll?" Bucky's voice sounded strained. His hand squeezed her upper arm.

 _Bucky?_

She shifted again before Bucky let out a choked cough. Opening her eyes, she realized she had her head on Bucky's lap.

 _Crap!_

Faster than lightning, she shot up to her feet and took several steps back. "I… I- sorry."

Bucky had one hand on his lap and was running a hand through his hair. She turned beet red.

Shit.

"So sorry… and thanks. I really should be keeping watch now." She babbled before she grabbed the metal cup that had fallen to the ground, shoved it in his hands, nodded awkwardly and climbed up a tree faster than Bucky could blink.

"Ah… no-no problem." The sergeant couldn't deny how he felt a bit disappointed but shook it off.

 _'Don't be a perv, Barnes.'_ He mentally scolded himself.

He soldiered on, "D-Don't stay up all night, alright?" She probably would.

He brushed off his pants, trying to get his mind out of the gutter, "I-I'll make sure to tell the fellas off too. Just… Come back by morning, okay?" She probably wouldn't.

He took a deep breath of the chilly nighttime air and looked up to her silhouette one more time before turning to go. The walk back would give him some time to cool down. "Breathe, Barnes."

Renny watched him walk back to the camp from where she sat. The heat on her face taking a few minutes to fade. _'Stop thinking about it. You can't. Nothing can happen.'_

The chill wind blowing started to become apparent. So she curled up and leaned her chin on her knees, pulling her own grey eyes from the retreating shadow of her friend and focusing again on the shadows of the forest.

 _'Nothing can happen.'_

* * *

 ** _A/N: Awwwwwkwaaaard... Kinda worried it seems a bit forced or unnatural. Was the interaction between Bucky and Renny, okay?_ And was I able to portray the Howling Commandos alright? I'd like to know your comments and thoughts for this chapter.**

 **'Til next time~**


	19. Round and Round

**Round and Round**

* * *

They did see more of Renny during their missions. Not all of them, but many. She was at all of them though.

She'd used her healing on practically everyone except Steve because he healed quick and never really needed extra help when he got hurt, and Bucky, because he was the team's sniper and was usually a distance away from the main action. It gained her more acceptance from the Howling Commandos. Even Gabe learned to respect just what the woman could do when he saw her fight.

She was the Howler's ace because she stepped into the field only when HYDRA made unexpected moves. And though she could do devastating damage or feats that would help them out immensely, her fairy dust couldn't be used in proximity to a lot of HYDRA's high tech weapons. Any backlash from a mix of her magic and the blue stuff could drain her to the point of liability… though they didn't really know that. They just thought that using any of her magic really took a lot out of her. If he knew she had such a bad reaction to the tesseract energy, Steve would never let her near any of the raids.

She helped, but she was always gone by the end of a mission if no one was hurt. And if she was the one with injuries, no one found out. Cuts and bruises healed easily with magic, but this wasn't a cut or bruise.

* * *

Things turned a bit awkward after that night.

When the Howling Commandos went over their plan before a mission, Renny would appear occasionally, but she would keep her distance from Bucky, either sticking to Dugan, Morita, or Steve.

The Captain noticed the change. Maybe she hadn't noticed it before, but Bangles tended to gravitate toward his pal, while he did the same for her. Which is why Steve had deduced they were sweet on each other.

Bucky was still his charming self, but there was a bit of hesitance when he called Renny out now. He would offer his bedroll after raids, knowing how using her magic drained her. He was concerned and wanted to work things out, but Renny would be distant. Before they had talked in the forest, she was quiet, but listened intently to Bucky, and would occasionally reply with a chuff or an almost exaggerated expression.

Now, she just gave him a nod of thanks, too polite to turn him down, and would turn away from him when she laid down, closing her eyes. Steve could tell she wasn't sleeping, but he left her alone.

"Did something happen?" Steve asked after a mission. The two were back at the house the division had provided. Steve was working on a few maps and papers for the next mission and Bucky was about to nap on the couch. Renny was notably absent.

Bucky looked up, confused, "What do you mean?"

"I mean between you and Bangles," Steve put down the papers he was looking through. "I mean, she's always been distant, but never with either of us. She's been… well, sort of… avoiding you, and you've been distracted lately."

Bucky flinched. As he sat up, he looked hesitantly to his friend, "Did she say something to you?" Maybe some light could be shed on this.

The blond shook his head, "No… She didn't. But I'm worried about you two. Did you have an argument?"

The dark haired man sighed deeply, "No. I'm… I'm just as in the dark about this as you are."

Steve heard the hesitation in his pal's answer. Bucky was straightforward and sometimes blunt. What happened?

Maybe it was his turn to be blunt now, "Is this about you being sweet on Renny?"

"Come on, Steve-"

"Well, is it?" He pushed.

Bucky groaned and lay back heavily on the couch."I really wish I knew. I want to talk to her myself, but… well, like you said, she's sorta been avoiding me."

* * *

Dugan was surprised when he spotted a familiar form in the far corner of the bar. He'd come alone tonight, the other Howlers having other arrangements. The man figured he'd have a drink or two then just call it a night.

With two beers, he approached the table. "Hey there, Perry. Rough day?" There was a thump as he settled the glasses down.

Renny flinched and sat up straighter. Was she so distracted that she'd forgotten to cast a disillusionment charm? She smiled awkwardly at the man, being only used to really talking to Bucky or Steve… Well, more just Steve now.

The thought made her wilt in her seat.

"Yup. Rough day." Dugan nodded and pushed the beer to her.

"I have tea." Renny reasoned, putting her fingers around the mug she'd brought herself and finding that the liquid had turned cold. She sighed, before looking at the alcoholic beverage. A little maybe. She didn't like the taste at all, but she didn't want to be rude. Holding back a grimace, she took a sip of it.

"So, what's got you down, angel?" Dugan asked after taking a gulp of his own beer. "What did Barnes do?"

Renny stared at the man, her mouth opening and closing in disbelief like a fish out of water. Dugan laughed.

"Well, Perry. It ain't no secret that the sarge has a soft spot for you," Dugan chuckled. "Gabe says Dernier is sure _you're_ sweet on him too."

Renny blushed to the tips of her ears, and it wasn't because of the alcohol. She took another sip, hiding her face behind the glass.

"Ha! I told Morita I saw it too. He's fixed on you being Barnes' and Cap's little sister."

Not knowing what to say, she just stuttered out, "I- I'm older…"

Dugan looked at her gently, "Perry, that ain't something to worry about so much. I've seen guys with gals on their arms that're older."

She probably looked a smidge younger than Bucky, actually. But that wasn't the issue.

The man saw her shake her head and sighed. "We're at war, Angel. You should be savoring the moments you do have." He took another gulp of his drink, "If it was clear you really don't fancy the sarge, I'd be giving you a whole 'nother speech, but... you do." He nudged her shoulder with his glass. "Right, gal?"

Maybe… but… She took a gulp of her drink, shuddering, before looking at the man sitting beside her. She didn't know Dugan's fate. All she knew was that he would live a fulfilled life and accomplish so much. She didn't know how far his future went, exactly. Maybe… just once… she could pour out her soul to someone she didn't have to carry the burden of torture and pain for.

"Could you lo-" Renny hesitated and cleared her throat, "Could you really care about someone if you knew they were going to… get hurt… and didn't do anything about it?"

"Ohhh. I see now. Is that it?" Dugan tapped her glass, "Drink up. This is a heavy subject."

The woman obliged. Anything to numb the pain she would likely feel from spilling her guts. The gulp she took elicited another shudder and loud exhale.

"Okay, now listen. I'm gonna have to lay down the facts here. We're at _war_ , Perry. Getting hurt is in the job description. We've all been hurt, but so were you. Seeing someone you care about hurt like that, it's like getting shot in the chest. You with me so far?"

Renny nodded.

"The only thing we can do is be there when we can. But the grim fact is you can't know every danger. You can't always be there."

The woman curled into herself and pulled up her knees, "That's just it, Dugan. What if you could?"

Dugan sighed deeply. Dames were always hard to argue with. So he tried to run with her logic, "Well, then shouldn't you be makin' the most of all the time you got? If you really cared about someone, you'd do whatcha could to make 'em happy. Give 'em a great day, one to remember instead of hurtin' both of ya. If you think you deserve that pain, that is just plain floy floy*, gal." He finished firmly.

Unconsciously, Renny picked up her glass and took another sip.

' _But I do deserve it.'_

The words were unsaid, but the way she acted, it was like she said it out loud. Dugan shook his head. This dame was stubborn. "And if for some twisted reason ya think you _do_ deserve it. I wanna ask you one thing," He looked her straight in the eye, "Does _he_?"

* * *

It was past eleven when a series of knocks echoed through the house. Steve was still awake, having lost track of time in his work. Moving from the living room, he stretched and walked to the door.

Only people from the division or the other Howlers showed up this late.

"Dugan?"

His face was slightly red from alcohol, but the captain definitely knew that the man could hold his liquor.

"Hey there, Cap." He grinned. On his back, was an absolutely beet-red-faced Renny.

"Steviiiieee Sssspanglessss!" The Cheshire grin on her face was wide and the Howler's signature bowler hat was on her head.

"Dugan!" Steve gaped, "You know she can't handle alcohol. How many did she have?" He went down the steps and lifted the tipsy woman down from the other man's shoulders and onto solid ground beside him.

"Still just the one and around half a second. Wow. She's really no swigger. I thought the last time she was just sleepy." Dugan shrugged. "She'll still be fine."

"No doubt, but-" Steve was cut off.

"Where's Bucko?" Renny asked from his hold, climbing over his shoulder to look through the door.

"Sleeping, Bangles. You need to get to sleep too." He readjusted Renny's position and pulled her back down on her feet in front of him.

She whined in response, "Buuut-"

"Renny, bed." Steve said firmly.

She pouted before stalking, her steps quite stable, to her room, which was thankfully on the ground floor.

The two men stared at each other for a while.

"Thank you for bringing her home." Steve sighed.

"Sure thing, Cap." Dugan nodded.

A moment of silence.

"Dugan-"

"There was a lot on her mind back there. She didn't say much, but there was a lot. She needed the drink." Dugan let out a breath. "I've never seen a dame who needed it more than her. I really hope whatever problems she's lugging around with her get solved soon."

Steve's shoulders dropped, "Yeah."

When he went back into the house, he went straight to Renny's room. The blond ran his hand over his face when he saw the woman sprawled on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Her boots a few feet away. He'd handled a tipsy, even drunk Bucky before. He could handle this.

"What are you doing on the floor, Bangles?"

"I'll fall asleep if I go to bed." She answered like it was obvious.

"That's a bit of the point," He knelt by her and slowly sat her up. "Come on."

When she'd propped up against the side of the bed, she poked Steve in the shoulder, "Can I drink something? My mouth feels like a dessert."

After a quick trip to the kitchen to get a glass of water, he was surprised to find her sitting on her mattress now.

"Thanks, Stevie." She said, taking big gulps before setting the glass on her bedside table. "Gonna talk to Bucko now."

Steve barred her from standing, "Hold on there. Don't you think you should wait 'til morning?" He looked at her worriedly. This was more continuous speech from Renny he had ever heard.

"But I made a speech and everything!" She whined.

"Ohhh… you shouldn't give that until your head clears a little, alright?" He said gently. Drunk speeches were never thought out well.

She frowned, "But what if I can't, Stevie? I'm…" She sniffed, "I'm already scared."

Steve knelt in front of her, "Hey. If this is what I think it's about, I'm sure you're nervous, Bangles." She nodded, whining and hugging the man. Of course she was, she hadn't been confronted with these kinds of feelings before.

Steve knew that she'd been closed off before. He understood why she could feel scared.

He rubbed soothing circles on her back. "Look. I know Bucky. He's been my best pal since I was a kid. There's nothing you need to be afraid of, no matter what happens when you tell him."

"Tell me what?"

Steve sat straighter and Renny quickly hid her face in his shoulder like a little kid.

Bucky stood in the doorway, dressed in a shirt and a pair of cotton pants. "I could hear you talkin' from upstairs."

"Night! Time for bed!" Renny flipped and covered herself in a sheet, turning her back to the two men.

"Uhhh… Buck?" Steve gestured out, and his friend obliged, taking a few steps back and out of the room. The blond man followed, closing Renny's door slightly.

"Is she _drunk_?" Bucky asked incredulously, "She hates the taste of alcohol."

"I think she thought it'd make her braver." Steve sighed, then looked at his pal, "You know what she's agonizing over, don't you?"

Bucky looked to the door, "If she's this nervous, I should be the one to just talk to her-"

Steve shook his head, "Buck. You know she's skittish right now. She'll bolt as soon as you mention anything close to the subject."

"But if I tell her, it'll make things so much easier." Bucky loved the chase when it came to other dames, but this was different. Something was different.

"That's just it," Steve said, a bit exasperated, "Don't you get it? I think she already has an idea about how you feel, she's making sense of her own feelings. She's confused."

"She's hurting, Steve!" Bucky's shoulders drooped. _So am I_.

The words didn't need to be said out loud. Steve took a deep breath through his nose then stepped aside. Bucky nodded as he slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside.

* * *

Renny was still on the bed with her back to him. Bucky would have thought she was sleeping if it wasn't for the two seconds her breath stuttered before evening out.

He sighed. He knew he was being a bit selfish here, but this would help Renny too… hopefully.

Her bed wasn't really very wide, but she'd curled up so far to one side, the leftover space was enough for him to lie flat on his back. He did so on top of the sheet she used as a blanket with barely an inch to spare between them.

"I miss you, Sunshine," He said wistfully, like he didn't know she was awake and listening. "I may not really get just why you're keeping your distance, but… okay."

Renny almost flinched at Bucky's words.

"You need to work this out on your end first, so okay."

She felt guilty. She was definitely hurting him. Dugan had asked her the right question.

 _Does he?_

"I… really wish you were awake so I could tell you," He continued the facade, "I'll be here when you come around and decide what you want to say. Alright, doll?…"

She could feel Bucky's hand hover close to her shoulder, but he pulled back at the last moment.

 _You might think you deserve it._

But…

 _Does he?_

Without turning, Renny spoke up, "Bucky," Her head shifted just enough for her grey-blue orbs to look at him for a split second before disappearing again, "I miss you too."

"That's good to know, doll." The dark haired man smiled.

"I'll work this out. Promise." She whispered.

"I know. You're a stubborn gal, Sunshine. You will." He desperately wanted to at least give her a kiss on her hair, but he didn't want to make her feel pressured into anything. He slid off the bed and pulled up the sheet that had trailed slightly with him, bringing it up to her shoulders.

"Sweet dreams, doll."

He switched off the lamp and left the room. Just before he could start closing the door and head back upstairs to sleep, he heard Renny say softly, "G'night, Pancakes."

The room was dark, and he'd already taken a few steps up the stairs when Renny flipped over slowly. She looked at the vacant space on her bed and put one hand on the barely warm sheets.

"Promise."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks so much to all those who read the story so far and added this to their faves and alerts. Special thanks to RochuRobalo who gave me reassurance about my character interactions. Any other thoughts on the chapter? I'd really like to know.**

 **I'll be getting chapters out as soon as I can with Endgame being so close. I want to finish this before the premiere, but that might be a bit difficult because I don't know exactly where this story will end. Maybe when Renny makes her appearance in Homecoming... maybe.**

 **'Til Next time**


	20. Theories

**Theories**

* * *

Things got… Well... Bucky could say it was a little better. A little.

Renny still usually stayed by Dugan, Morita, or Steve when they went over the plan just before they acted on the field, but she didn't actively avoid him anymore. She actually did it a little more out of habit than anything.

She wasn't cold when Bucky offered his sleeping bag after raids either.

"Are you warm enough, Sunshine?" Bucky would ask, concerned when she would shiver now and then.

She would nod and answer, "It'll pass." She'd watch Bucky clean his rifle for a few minutes before falling asleep. Steve knew there was progress being made when Renny didn't needlessly turn to hide her face, feign sleep, or disappear entirely.

The other Howlers soon understood that what they were teasing their sniper about was actually something.

* * *

A smaller mission had gone pretty well, except that the team had to go to a relatively isolated location. They were supposed to take a part of a shipment of HYDRA weapons with them so Howard could do a more in-depth study of how they worked and what the Allies were up against.

Because of the nature of what they were handling, Renny opted to stay out the main action for this one. She still stayed close by, shadowing the team from a good distance. Just in case.

Everything had gone according to plan so far. The Howlers simply had to handle a little scuffle. Then one of the HYDRA soldiers they were fighting went and armed a tesseract powered explosive in an effort to keep the weapons from falling into the hands of Americans.

The explosion had been huge.

All the Howlers would have suffered some kind of injury if Renny hadn't decided to drop the weapons truck through a portal she opened on the ground. She had to get a bit closer for that, still cloaked in a disillusionment charm. The wave of tesseract energy that managed to come back through the portal before it closed made everyone run for cover. Renny had made it behind a tree but hadn't ended the spell that was keeping her camouflaged.

The magic enveloping her body reacted with the tesseract energy, resulting in something like an electric shock. Her body spasmed and her throat closed up so all that left her lips was a squeak before she crumpled to the ground, twitching.

It was Morita who found her, curled up on the dirt. He carried her to their camp-slash-rendezvous point. Falsworth was the first one to see them and immediately set up his bedroll for the other man to set her down on. She was generally unharmed but exhausted and fell unconscious immediately when given the minute comfort of something soft underneath her back.

Steve, Bucky, and Dugan had lingered to check over the site of their ambush, hoping to find something to take back to Stark.

After a thorough sweep, they found a crate of guns with some ammo that had fallen out of the truck. When they made it to camp, they were surprised to see Renny was already there, snuggled into Falsworth's sleeping bag while the Brit checked her over for injuries.

Bucky bristled at the sight. Before this, she'd never even appeared at the camp unless it was with Steve or when the sergeant showed up.

The man was a sourpuss for days, even when they got back to home base.

* * *

"Did one of the boys make a move on the tough gal?" Stark asked the Captain, amused at how the blond's pal seemed irritable and was throwing scowls at Falsworth.

"No, I think she did something with her fairy dust that really drained her during the op. She probably couldn't stay up for Buck like she usually does and fell asleep on Falsworth's sleeping bag." Steve chuckled.

"Hah! And I thought dames were temperamental. What's even funnier is she's oblivious to the actual reason the sarge's trying to burn a hole through Falsworth's skull."

It was true.

Renny thought Bucky was just being grumpy. Maybe at her, because she was taking a while to sort her feelings out.

What was funny was that she thought her friend was misdirecting his annoyance at Falsworth. Which made her a bit annoyed at Bucky in return and sympathetic toward the Brit.

Which made things even funnier... or just worse.

The Howlers were at a portion of the base that was reserved for training (practice really). Renny sat at a shadowed corner closer to where Falsworth was, not wanting to deal with Bucky's sour mood and wanting to observe the Brit's marksmanship skills.

She didn't know that her sticking closer to the Brit was the cause of the Sergeant's mood.

"Is that her?"

Steve straightened when he turned to see Peggy. The agent was looking at his female friend, then turned to meet his eyes with one eyebrow raised.

"Ah, yeah- yes. That's Renny." The blond said, wondering why Peggy almost sounded hostile.

Nodding, Peggy turned back to look at the so-called magic-user. After a minute of observation, the agent spoke up again, "We should do a skills assessment."

Howard perked up, "That's a great idea!" Maybe he could get some clues as to how the young woman's mystic powers worked.

"Ah…" Steve looked to Renny, who was throwing annoyed glances at Bucky for making Falsworth feel uncomfortable. Maybe it would be best to take her out of the training area for a while, give some space to the two fellas to clear the air... If Bucky would just stop being a fat head. "Okay, but you gotta ask _her._ She's never really just shown off for anybody."

Peggy nodded and approached the other woman, all business-like.

Renny was frozen and wide-eyed when she was approached by Carter. Steve decided to go over and help ease any tension.

Bucky was oblivious to the goings-on, too busy with his target practice, wanting to show Renny he was the better choice to observe marksmanship skills than Falsworth. The sergeant used his rifle to give several targets headshots and threw an almost threatening glare at the other man who sighed. Bucky turned to throw Renny a satisfied smirk, but she wasn't there.

"Care for a chat, Barnes?"

Falsworth.

* * *

Peggy had practically ordered that Renny do a skills assessment, not requested one. The magic-user could in no way refuse. Renny admired Agent Carter and to have her speak directly to her was _awesome_. It was another milestone. Meeting _the_ Agent Carter.

The group- Steve, Howard, Peggy, and Renny had moved to a training field on another part of the base that was barely used. The Captain had insisted. Renny still preferred to stay in the shadows. She wouldn't have wanted just anyone watching her use her magic.

"Now, as I've heard, you've accompanied the Howling Commandos on several missions. Colonel Phillips and I would have reported this to the gentlemen upstairs, but Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes have requested-" She threw a glance at the blond man who was standing with Stark a distance away, "quite _insistently_ in fact, that you be considered strictly a consultant. A rather secret one at that."

Renny shuffled in her boots as the agent continued to assess her, "I've heard the stories of what you can do. But what I _do_ want to know, is if you can handle one of these." She held out a standard issue Colt pistol.

The other woman stared at the weapon. She'd never held a gun in her life, which is why she was watching Falsworth. She was considering keeping a gun on hand for emergencies. She'd initially thought to ask Bucky, but his sour mood had put her off. Her hand shook as she slowly reached for the weapon, then pulled back. She didn't know anything about handling a gun.

"Perhaps not?" It was more a statement than a question when Renny shook her head, looking apologetic.

The agent put the pistol back down on a wooden table beside her, now picking up a hunting knife. "No?"

Renny shook her head again. She'd trained with the bo staff back in Kamar Taj. That and some hand to hand. She guessed she should have done some work with knife play.

"No. I'm guessing you're used to using your… magic. Can you show me that then?" Peggy sounded skeptical. Renny looked a bit nervous. They were still inside the compound. The magic-user's knowledge that HYDRA would infect SHIELD made her paranoid of who might see, even if it was still the SSR.

"Hey. Easy, Peggy." Steve put a hand on the agent's shoulder. "She's skittish around new people."

"Well, that's reassuring." Peggy muttered, before staring hard at the robed woman, "She accompanies your team during missions and uses some kind of mystical energy. Stark says it's the same kind Schmidt is using-"

Howard raised his hands, "I believe the word I used was _similar_ -"

Steve's jaw dropped in realization. "You can't think she's a spy? HYDRA _tortured_ her in that factory!"

Renny froze where she stood. This was bad. _Very_ bad.

Peggy shook her head almost apologetically, "The medics found barely any physical damage that would corroborate that. They mostly found old scarring on her forearms, other than that, it was only dehydration and exhaustion. I'm sorry, Steve"

Steve stepped in front of Renny protectively, "No."

The magic-user wasn't sure what she could say to defend herself. If she portalled away, that would only serve to raise Carter's suspicions.

"Bucky can tell you. He was there." Steve looked over his shoulder, "Go."

The young woman stood in place.

Peggy continued, "Sergeant Barnes heard her screaming. He saw soldiers bringing her back from her 'torture', but never actually saw anything happen. Howard?"

Steve's eyes snapped to the inventor's guilty face, "I'm sorry, fella." He took out a remote from his pocket and pressed a button.

Renny cried out and dropped to the ground.

"You bugged her arm guards?!" Steve said in disbelief. "She wasn't even moving!"

Howard shook his head, "Carter's right. I may like the tough gal, but we need to be sure. The last HYDRA agent slipped into Erskine's procedure, even when he checked out."

Steve raised his voice, "I'm vouching for her! Just like I vouched for the other fellas-"

"Military, Captain. They all have records, history. She doesn't." Peggy stated firmly. "Isn't that even a _tad_ bit suspicious to you?"

"This is crazy! I've known her for almost eight years! She's my closest pal next to Bucky-"

" _Stop_!"

Renny was staring at them, a look of panic and fear apparent on her face.

Steve and Peggy _didn't_ argue. They just didn't. They were the ultimate Marvel ship… And she was putting a wedge between them just by being here. This wasn't supposed to happen. She _couldn't_ let this happen.

All eyes turned to her, pushing herself up from the ground. "If I prove that I don't work with the Red Skull…"

"Then I'll consider not having Howard lock you up." Peggy nodded.

"How am _I_ a part of this?" Howard complained.

Steve knelt by his friend and helped her stand on her shaky legs. The Captain glared at Howard and Peggy. The inventor looked away guiltily. The Agent looked slightly remorseful but determined.

Renny nodded, resolute. Turning to Howard, she said one word.

"Lab."

* * *

Bucky looked sourly at Falsworth the whole time he walked across the training field to him. Lowering his rifle, the sergeant got ready to argue with the other man. He'd throw some punches if he had to.

When the Brit reached him, he threw his hands up, "This has been going on for days and I think that's quite enough."

Bucky straightened and folded his arms, "What's enough? I think you need more training if you want to keep up with everyone during raids."

Falsworth ran a hand over his face and laughed, exasperation in his tone, "Barnes… You need to stop being doll dizzy enough to get some sense in that skull of yours."

Bucky flinched, "What are you-"

" _Enough_ , Barnes." Falsworth sighed, "Your tomfoolery is pushing Perry away from you."

The other man shook his head, "She's been sticking with you for the past few days. I'm not-"

" _Why_ do you think that is?"

Silence.

The Brit sighed again, "You both need to talk. She needs to clear the air with you as well. So I suggest you find her."

Bucky eyed the other Howler for a moment, "You're not trying to-"

Falsworth groaned this time, "You're a twit, you know. I admire the lady, yes. But I have enough sense to know that she fancies someone else. How can you be our sniper and be incredibly _blind_ at the same time?" He shooed the sergeant with a hand, "Go on. She left with the Captain, Agent Carter, and Stark," pointing in the direction the four had gone earlier.

When Bucky didn't move, Falsworth rolled his eyes and used his pistol to shoot a target several times in the torso. "Get on before I use you for target practice."

Bucky snapped to it and started for the exit, then paused. He turned and looked at his fellow Howler, "Listen, Falsworth… Sorry I was-"

" _Idiotic_? Yes, you were. Apology accepted. Now go on."

The sergeant nodded in silent thanks and resumed his march out of the training grounds.

* * *

The lab was dim. Renny insisted the lights stayed off. It would make things easier to see. Well… when it came to her magic anyway. She looked around the room and checked for cameras, spotting one each in two different corners.

"Steve, please?"

The Captain saw the direction of her gaze and nodded, seeing the gadgets. He stepped up to them and disconnected their main wires.

"I'm trusting you." Renny said softly to Peggy, "Not the SSR."

The agent nodded stiffly after a few moments.

The magic user looked to her blond friend, his presence giving her a sense of security. She let out a breath. Fiddling with her hands for a moment, she held out a closed fist and gestured for Steve's hand. Placing something in his palm, she stepped back into the reinforced room where Stark had first tested ammo that the Captain had retrieved from the first factory.

He looked at his hand and mentally gaped.

Her sling ring.

Bucky had told him his theory.

When HYDRA had captured them, one of his squad mates had found the ring just before they were taken, and he'd given it to the sergeant when they were placed in cells next to each other. When he realized that Renny hadn't somehow just disappeared like she always did, he wondered what HYDRA had done to her to keep her from escaping sooner. He'd returned her ring and she disappeared from her cell soon after. He'd come to the conclusion that Renny needed her ring to be able to teleport like she did.

Without it, she was definitely trapped in that room.

Through the glass viewing window, she pointed to the almost full magazine of ammo that Howard had secured in a glass case in the lab.

"The HYDRA bullets?" Stark had questioned.

The robed woman nodded. She pointed again to a few pairs of goggles she had spotted on a table, the other three put them on.

She stepped to one end of the room while Stark took one bullet from the magazine and placed it in a mechanical claw at the other end.

Renny took a deep breath as Howard shut her in.

Even when the bullet was all the way across the room, though it was a small space, she could already feel a sense of apprehension.

Steve looked worried that she'd chosen to have herself shut in a reinforced room. He was also confused, wondering how she was going to prove herself to Peggy with this.

After another deep breath, Renny let her magic manifest on her fingertips. It flickered, just as the glow from the bullet seemed to swirl. She furrowed her brows at the uncomfortable sensation that got worse as she slowly dialed up the intensity of her mystical energy.

"That… hasn't happened before." Steve worried. If it did, Renny made sure to hide any discomfort.

Stark stared at the light show, then spoke out as he deduced, "Her magic reacts to tesseract energy."

Peggy stared.

Sparks were swirling around her hands now and the runes on her vambraces glowed slightly. The discomfort turned into a burning sensation.

Putting one foot in front of the other, she inched to the bullet. Each step made her magic and the tesseract glow swirl more erratically. The furrow of her brow was followed by a frown, then a grimace.

"This isn't good," Howard mumbled.

"It's hurting her." Steve realized and turned to Peggy, "That has to be enough. She can't be working with Schmidt, using her magic near any of his weapons hurts her. The _whole_ of HYDRA uses them."

Peggy looked contemplative and was about to say something when the lab door opened.

"Hey, Steve. Falsworth said-"

The glowing within the reinforced room brightened to a blinding intensity before a sharp crackle and pop sounded, the glass observation window splintered, and the lights went out. Everything was followed by a dull thud.

"Renny!" Steve rushed to the metal door, and when he opened it, someone slipped by him before he could enter.

The young woman was curled on the ground, shaking. Whoever rushed in immediately knelt by her and carefully pulled her into his arms.

"Bucky."

"What the hell, Stark?!" The sergeant snapped at the inventor who stood at the entrance to the smaller room, "HYDRA already tortured her for her magic. If the SSR is picking up where they left off-"

Renny whimpered when one of his hands brushed hers and Bucky turned back to the woman in his arms. The light of the lab flickered on. Renny's hands were red, her skin looking like they had a bad first-degree burn.

"She needs the infirmary," Howard began, but Renny shook her head.

"No." She looked to the man holding her, "Home." She pleaded.

"Alright, doll. Don't worry, we'll get you to bed." He spoke gently. When the woman closed her eyes and buried her face into his chest, the sergeant looked back at the agent and the inventor, his glare dripping with venom. Resolutely, he marched back out of the lab, an exhausted Renny in his secure grip.

"I'll…" Peggy began hesitantly, knowing she was now on thin ice, "I'll get some supplies from the infirmary and bring them-"

"To me. I'll take them over to the house." Steve said firmly. He didn't want Peggy anywhere _near_ Renny right now.

Peggy nodded tersely, before leaving with Steve to grab the medical supplies. Howard was left in the lab.

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Why is everyone blaming me?"

* * *

 **A/N: It's been a while since my last post. I hope this chapter's okay, I feel like the plot might be getting a bit redundant. Is it? Or am I being paranoid? Big thanks to everyone who reviewed (barring the troll guest reviewer), you all give my confidence a boost when it comes to this story. I'm glad to know that you're enjoying the story.**

 **I would love to hear what you want to see in this story, constructive criticism if you have it. This will probably end once Steve goes into the ice. I'll be posting another story with one shots of Renny and what she's doing while without her two best friends. Unless you'd rather I just post them here too?**

 **For those following GTKS, I did plan a sequel following Infinity War and Endgame, but I'm still a bit stuck for inspiration. I have one shots too, which I will post in another accompanying story. More news on that when the first chapter goes up.**

 **'Til next time.**


	21. Bandages

**Bandages**

* * *

Renny was still shivering when they got back to the house. Bucky placed her on her bed and wrapped her in blankets. He went upstairs and raided the blankets from his and Steve's room too. When he tucked those over her, she was still trembling.

There wasn't any hesitation. "Scoot," he ordered, though before she could move, the man pushed her just enough across the mattress so he could lay down and wrap his arms around her.

He spooned her from behind, rubbing her arms, careful of her hands.

"You'll be the death of me, Sunshine. Always giving me a heart attack," he muttered. The image of her on the floor flashed through his head and he moved closer to her.

"'M s-sorry." Renny stuttered, her voice shaking. The cold in her veins was starting to ebb. She was starting to feel the warmth of Bucky sticking so close to her. Damn… she wanted to still feel annoyed with him for being a jerk towards Falsworth, but she couldn't. It was just misdirected after all.

She sighed, "If you're mad… you should be a jerk to _me_."

The sergeant's brow scrunched in confusion, "Doll, I'm mad, yeah… but at _Stark_ , not you."

"Howard?"

"Howard?" Bucky parroted. _First name?_

Renny carefully flipped over, using her elbows because her hands still stung. She looked up at him, "What?" What did Howard have to do with him being pissy with Falsworth?

"He, and Agent Carter I bet, hurt you with their tests." He growled.

"Th-That…" Renny looked away guiltily, "Was _my_ idea."

Bucky huffed, running one hand over his face, " _Why_ do you keep insisting on doing things if you know you're gonna get hurt?"

She looked at him again, her tone blunt, "You're a soldier in a war."

He chuckled after a moment, "Okay, fine. Point there, Sunshine."

She liked the sound of his chuckle, he sounded carefree. "Anyway, you need to stop being mad at people who don't deserve it." She snuggled into her sheets, resting her forehead on his side.

She'd fallen asleep for a few minutes on the way to the house and woken up again when Bucky had set her on her bed. She still felt exhausted, but talking with Bucky was nice. She'd been avoiding him for a while and it had been straining on her.

Being exhausted went either of two ways- she would just go straight to sleep, or her tired brain would make her ease up on her quiet personality… She usually stayed away from the boys when she was, knowing that sometimes, she couldn't control what she said.

"Hey, I'm not mad, just annoyed now." Bucky insisted.

It was her turn to huff, "Then be annoyed with _me_ , not Falsworth."

He scrunched his brows together, "Wait… how's _Falsworth_ involved in this now?"

"I think you're projecting on him. I'm the one you're annoyed with." She said, a little annoyance bleeding into her tone.

"Annoyed with you? For what? Well... besides letting yourself get zapped?" Bucky was confused.

"For… taking long… to sort myself out?" Now Renny was confused.

The two stared at each other.

"I'm not annoyed with you for that."

"Then why've you been being a jerk to Falsworth?"

"Because… well… I thought we were starting to work things out. Then you started… sticking to him instead." Bucky managed to mumble out, sourness tingeing his tone.

"Falsworth? I was only sticking to him because I was, actually I am still, annoyed with you for being a jerk to him."

So that's what the Brit had been referring to. Hope flared to life in his chest, "Then…?"

If her hands didn't sting she would be smacking Bucky repeatedly right now. She had to settle for glaring at him.

 _God._ Her feelings were causing all kinds of problems, worse apparently when she tried to hide them.

The lesser of two evils then.

"I like _you_ , you idiot." She grumbled. "I was just being a friend to Falsworth."

One moment.

Two.

A grin slowly split Bucky's face. He'd always had an idea that she felt _something_ for him, but to hear Renny actually say it plainly. To hear what it actually was…

"Well, I like you too, Sunshine." He put an arm around her waist and pulled her to him slightly, the blankets bunching even more between them. Renny breathed in sharply.

It felt like all the cliches.

Butterflies.

Sparks.

He tucked her head under his chin. The young woman in his hold took a few moments to relax. She took another gulp of air before shyly scooting a bit closer. Her hands felt like they were moving of their own accord, lifting to lightly rest on Bucky's chest. Her injuries seemed to have made her palms and fingertips hypersensitive, and she could feel the steady thump of his heart against his ribs. The rhythm was soothing.

Renny sighed softly, trying not to let Bucky realize just how content she was, but she heard her. His grin turned smug and satisfied. For a few minutes, they revelled in the quiet, then Bucky took a breath, "You know-"

"I got some supplies-" Steve paused at the doorway.

Renny eeped and hid her face under her sheet, almost giving the sergeant a double uppercut.

Bucky just looked up at his pal, his grin subdued and a tad annoyed, but still on his face. "You sure got _great_ timing, punk." His eye twitched.

Maybe the blond had walked in on his dark-haired friend several times in the past, but it didn't exactly make this kind of situation easy to handle. Especially because quiet, timid Renny wasn't one Steve would have ever thought of accidentally walking in on… even if his friends weren't really doing anything inappropriate except sharing a bed.

The Captain coughed and cleared his throat, while Bucky sat up on the mattress, holding out a hand for a roll of bandages. Renny stayed frozen under the sheets, feeling mortified.

"Hey, Sunshine. We gotta clean up those hands first before we can bandage them up." Bucky tried pulling up the sheet to peek at the young woman, but she'd ignored the slight sting of her hands to pull the fabric back. She was still so embarrassed.

"I'll go get some water and a basin…" Steve muttered, thinking to give his friends some space. They looked like they were working things out and he didn't want to get in the way of that. "I'm gonna check the bathroom." He declared loudly before stepping out.

After a few more moments, "Sunshine?" Bucky said gently.

She still didn't budge. The young man chuckled and petted the sheets over her head. "I hate to admit it, but he's seen worse, you know."

Renny shifted and wanted to chuckle too. Bucky must've still had an innocent image of Steve. Little did he know, after the serum, women had been throwing themselves at the formerly small and skinny young man. However, no matter how gentlemanly and shy the Captain was, he was still a man. She'd even caught him kissing one of the showgirls once. She couldn't help but titter softly at the thought.

Bucky felt relieved that his admission didn't put Renny off. She must have expected it actually. She'd known him for years, after all.

He flicked somewhere around where her nose would be and she wriggled underneath the sheets again.

"Hey, no more trying to hide, okay? If things get weird between us again, let's just talk it through."

He sighed before going on, "No jumping to conclusions, no secrets, and I think we'll be okay."

Renny bit her lip.

 _Secrets…_

Pulling the sheets down enough to uncover her eyes, she looked up at Bucky.

"O-Okay." She agreed, though technically it didn't mean she agreed with everything he listed. She retreated again underneath the sheets.

* * *

It was a few more minutes before Steve came back with a basin of warm water and a cloth. He knocked before stepping in.

Bucky tried his luck again, "Easy, Sunshine." He pulled the sheets away gently, revealing that Renny had fallen asleep. The young man couldn't help but smile, an affectionate look in his eyes when he looked down at the young woman's peaceful face.

"She alright?" The Captain asked softly as he stepped up to one side of the bed, setting down the basin and soaking the cloth in.

"Yeah," The dark-haired man glanced up at his pal, "Her hands are singed and she's plain exhausted, but she's okay."

The blond wrung the cloth, looking thoughtful, "Just like during the raids." He realized as he took in the paleness of her skin and a bit of a shadow under her eyes, "She should have said something. Being on raids can be very dangerous for her." He sighed and gave the damp cloth to Bucky who took one of Renny's hands in his gently.

"What do you mean?" The sergeant hadn't seen exactly what caused the explosion in the lab.

"Her fairy dust can backfire on her when she gets too close to the energy in Schmidt's weapons." Steve reiterated, nodding to the young woman's injured hands. "That might be what happened on the last op."

Bucky ground his teeth, "God damn it-"

"Language."

The dark-haired young man couldn't help but give his friend an exasperated scowl, before turning back to wipe off Renny's hands. "That's probably why she disappears after some raids. She didn't want us to know." He groaned slightly, shaking his head.

Steve moved to bandage one hand while Bucky did the same. "Who knows how bad she got hurt without us knowing. She was only exposed to one bullet in the lab and it caused this kind of damage." He glared at the red skin of Renny's palm.

Both men moved slowly, contemplative looks on their faces.

"We have to do something… but she won't back off, will she?"

"No. She's too bent on watching our backs."

A familiar thought crossed Steve's mind and he looked at his pal who'd pressed a gentle kiss on Renny's bandaged knuckles, "Did you ever wonder why?"

Bucky's brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"Why she's so… protective?" There was something else to it, but Steve just could never really place it. There was a franticness Renny tried to hide when either he or his pal were hurt. "She just chose us. She watches over us like a hawk."

The other man shrugged like it was obvious, "What's there to be confused about? She's our friend and she's a dame. All dames worry."

Steve made sure her bandages were secure, "I guess… Still, you haven't thought about it?"

The other man shrugged, "Punk, sometimes I wonder why I've stuck with _you_ after I helped you with those bullies the first time." Bucky's tone was blunt.

The two stared at each other.

One moment.

Two.

Then they both chuckled loudly, holding in their laughs so they wouldn't disturb their friend's much-needed rest.

"Yeah, okay." Steve put Renny's hand on her stomach.

The blond watched his pal rub gentle circles on the back of Renny's other bandaged hand.

"How 'bout you two Buck? Are you okay?"

Bucky looked at Steve, then back at Renny, "Yeah. I think we are."

The blond nodded, then gave the dark haired man a sly look, "Did you ask her to be your girl yet?"

Bucky groaned, poking his friend in the chest, "What do you think you walked in on?"

* * *

 **A/N: There will be around 2 or 3 chapters left 'til The First Avenger comes to a close and Renny is going to be mostly alone. Having a bit of a hard time typing out the end though. My muse is being difficult. Any comments or suggestions? I'd love to hear (read) from you.**

 **Big thanks to everyone who read and reviewed.**

 **'Til next time~**


	22. Rift

**Rift**

* * *

One of the things Renny was always afraid of since arriving was that she would change the timeline for the worse all because she now existed where she should not.

That almost happened when Bucky was almost killed in the Battle of Azzano because he saw her on her knees and in pain in the middle of the battlefield.

Now it seemed, she had done it again. Because of her, Steve and Peggy were at odds.

During mission briefings, the pair who once worked fluidly together had a tension between them. Steve turned chilly towards the agent since the incident at the lab. The small smiles and looks the two would throw each other before were gone. The blond would look at the agent distrustfully and she, in turn, would simply be cordial with him but generally avoided unnecessary conversation.

The strain between them was definitely palpable, but Colonel Philipps decided to leave it be because HYDRA factories were still being wiped off the map. The man didn't want to get dragged into any drama. He already had enough on his plate.

When Renny visibly attended mission briefings, both Bucky and Steve would unconsciously keep her behind them as much as possible. Steve, especially, would tense ever so slightly whenever an SSR agent would pass close by the young woman.

This couldn't go on.

"Steve…"

The captain turned his suspicious gaze at Peggy to look at Renny. He could see the concern and sadness in her eyes.

He didn't say anything about it until the briefing was over. Instead of the usual lingering the man had done before to converse (albeit somewhat awkwardly) with the agent, he walked away from the table to talk with the other Howlers.

While the men discussed other details of their next assignment, the magic-user slipped out of the room and walked down the hall, past other offices. She passed a room that seemed to hold several steel cabinets and a large table strewn with folders and papers.

In it was one Agent Carter. The other woman put a file back in one of the drawers slowly and pinched the bridge of her nose. Renny flinched and almost gaped when she saw the strong woman sigh deeply with her shoulders somewhat slumped.

That was not the Peggy she knew.

The magic-user gulped, a small part lingering in the back of her mind whispering notions of fear and nervousness in her ear. Taking a deep breath, she let out her own huff before knocking twice on the wall to alert the other woman of her presence.

"Ah," Peggy immediately straightened, her usual formal character slipping back into place, "Miss Capelli." The woman seemed surprised that the magic-user sought her out. Her eyes flickered behind the other woman, expecting to see a certain Captain or Sergeant lurking nearby.

"They're still chatting." Renny glanced in the direction of the briefing room down the hall. She still hadn't heard the doors swing open again after they'd shut behind her. When she looked back, she was surprised to see Agent Carter had stepped a little closer to her.

"I…" There was apprehension in the Brit's eyes, though she stood straight with her shoulders strongly set. "I've been meaning to apologize for how I acted… rashly, I suppose-" She tensed again when someone passed by the doorway.

Another secretary walking to another office.

Renny knew this would not go anywhere if she didn't give the Agent the proper privacy to speak. So, she pushed her tingling nervousness to the back of her mind long enough for her to shut the door. _Mostly_ , anyway. Some anxiety still had her leaving it an inch or two open.

Peggy took a breath and relaxed… well enough that her formal persona was still intact. "I do apologize for my actions. But," her eyes took on a sharpness, "I don't regret them."

Another step forward and her hand moved to touch Renny's arm, but the sight of the bandages on the magic-user's hands made her hesitate. She paused for a moment and folded her own arms instead. "You have to understand, Steve-" She coughed, " _Captain America_ is the Allies' best hope for winning this war. He may be a super soldier, but he needs to be kept safe. Enemies are everywhere and I simply don't want to miss one… Not again." The last two words were practically mouthed simply to herself and Renny almost missed it.

The magic-user nodded, "You were protecting a friend," her brows then drew together, "But what-"

The door suddenly swung open, "There you are! You know you shouldn't-" Blue eyes narrowed slightly and lips pursed into a straight line. "Agent Carter."

Said woman took two steps back and nodded her head stiffly, "Captain Rogers."

The blond had moved forward, again half shielding Renny behind him with his body. "The convoy will be leaving at zero-four-hundred tomorrow." He reported, returning the stiff nod. After the short sentence, he simply turned and ushered Renny out, shutting the door behind him. Again the woman looked up to see Steve's face set in a serious expression. They made it only four doors down before the blond put his arm on Renny's shoulder.

"You know you shouldn't be wandering around. Not here." His brows were scrunched together.

"Thank, God!" Bucky. He jogged to them from down the hall. "You're not supposed to go off on your own here, Doll."

After years of being the silent guardian to the two, this reversal was _strange_ … And completely unnecessary.

Renny huffed and dragged the two towards the exit. Not that they resisted. They noticed that people were starting to stare.

Once the trio were outside, Renny said one word, "Home." She ran a hand through her hair.

"Well, no kidding, Bangles." Steve moved for the jeep that the SSR had provided along with the keys to the row house they were staying at.

Bucky helped her up into the vehicle's passenger seat before getting up himself. "I, well neither of us, want you here longer than you have to be anyway."

The engine growled to life and with it, Renny's exasperation. "I can take care of myself." She stared hard at both men.

 _You know that._

"Doll, we're serious here. After what they did, you should be more careful." Bucky lectured. "You can't just disappear without telling us."

Renny stared open-mouthed in disbelief. "It was my choice… That is _literally_ what I've been doing practically every day you've known me." She said softly, as though not entirely sure that Bucky was this stubborn.

"Not anymore. Not right now, at least." Steve replied tersely, his super-soldier hearing catching her words. "You're our friend, Renny. You've always had our backs. It's time we had _yours_."

 _Oh my God!_ "This is stupid. You're being stupid." Heavily annoyed, before the two soldiers could say anything more, she did exactly what they told her not to do. She conjured a portal on the seat behind her and fell back into it.

"Renny!" They both yelled as the portal snapped shut and left an empty seat and the sizzle of sparks.

* * *

"Oh God!" Howard jumped, dropping the glass of scotch in his hand.

Before it hit the ground, a glow caught it inches from shattering on the floor.

"You really shouldn't do that, tough gal. You startled the _bejeezus_ out of me." The man put a hand on his chest and chuckled.

Renny shrugged, fingers wrapping around the glass that floated up to her hand.

The genius watched the display intently, offhandedly commenting, "I really want to know how you do that-" He caught himself when he realized what he was saying. "Not that I'll run tests, or- I won't." He cut himself off again. Howard ran a hand through his hair, mentally kicking himself for bringing up tests.

Renny smiled wanly, "It was my idea."

The inventor took that to mean that the woman did not hold the lab incident against him… unlike a _certain_ pair.

"Thank you!" He was glad one of his friends was at least seeing reason. "Drink?" He offered, turning to the crystal decanter on the table.

Renny shook her head and simply sat herself down on Stark's couch.

"So, did Tweedledee and Tweedledum finally make you crack?" He chuckled when he saw her bland expression.

"Stupid…" she muttered again.

Howard laughed this time. "Well, they're just reacting, Perry. Even I'd put you on lockdown if I was in their position." He took a sip of his drink, "Still… You don't have anything against Carter then?- okay, stupid question. You just implied you didn't earlier." The man sighed and looked at Renny, "You've got to understand though, Carter was also acting on instinct. She wants to make sure all her bases are covered. Especially 'cuz she's a little sweet on the wonder boy too."

Renny cocked her head, "She said something…" she paused, thinking back on her brief conversation with the agent, "Not again. " _Again_ "?"

"Ah," Stark took another gulp of his scotch. "She should be the one telling you this, but she'll never talk about it." He swirled the leftover alcohol in his glass. ""Again" because Carter feels she could have done something to prevent Erskine's death. Erskine's the doctor who made Rogers into a super soldier. He was killed when a HYDRA agent caught everyone off guard."

Renny perked up at this. She remembered that iconic scene. The birth of Captain America. But… how could the HYDRA guy be _Peggy's fault_? No one saw it coming…

"Unfortunately, that's where your wrong."

The woman flinched, she must have muttered the last part out loud.

"I had a hunch."

The new voice made the both Renny and Howard jump.

Peggy stood at the entrance to Stark's sitting room, arms folded.

"What is it with everyone trying to give me a heart attack today?" Howard huffed.

Peggy walked forward, giving Howard a reprimanding look before reaching for her own glass and pouring some scotch. She let out a breath and closed her eyes, as though preparing herself to relive a memory of painful failure.

"The HYDRA agent that infiltrated the day of Erskine's experiment- when I first met him, he seemed... off to me." She took a sip of scotch, "That was months before. I went to my superiors asking to check on his references. They said my feeling was just paranoia. I did what I said I would. I went over them countless times. It didn't help that the man had a straight record and that the State Department had sent him. He was vouched for by the SSR. Even so, the feeling never really went away. But I had to step back. Even when I felt unsure, I stepped back."

She stared at the wall, unseeing, "And on the day of project Rebirth, Kruger joined the spectators, despite my misgivings. He set off an explosive that injured several people, shot and killed Doctor Abraham Erskine and stole his life's work. The saboteur also killed Gretchen Darby, a civilian agent, when she tried to stop him on the way out of the shop as well."

"Honestly, I didn't have any such feelings when I first encountered you. At least, not after I heard of you from Howard and the rest of the Howling Commandos. Not after I the times I saw you at mission briefings and how you acted around Ste… the Captain. But unlike Kruger, you had absolutely no records or paperwork at all. Nothing to check. All I had were the words of the Captain and sergeant Barnes, and the lack of a bad feeling."

Renny was looking at the floor while Peggy waited for some kind of response. Howard fiddled with his glass, knowing it wasn't the right time for him to talk, but not liking the minutes ticking by in silence.

"I understand." Renny looked up at Peggy, "You were protecting a friend."

"And as much as I want to trust you as Steve does-"

Renny put a hand lightly on Carter's arm, "I _understand_."

The agent nodded, "Thank you."

After a moment, Renny stood. She would have simply disappeared quietly, as she was wont to do, but she refrained. "Tomorrow then," She muttered, nodding.

Conjuring a portal that engulfed her, she left in a shower of sparks.

* * *

The mission was simple. Take Stark to the last factory they raided, there was some equipment there he wanted to look at himself. It could prove the key to finding a way to counter or sabotage HYDRA's weapons.

Of course, the Brits wanted in too and sent Agent Carter as well as one of their specialists to assist Stark.

A small convoy, composed of the SSR representatives, the Howling Commandos, and several additional soldiers, was set to leave at oh-four-hundred hours.

Small, because the factory was located at the outskirts of enemy territory.

Fifteen minutes away from the time of departure, everyone was making last-minute checks. The sky was still dark but the military compound was lit with floodlights.

"She's still not here." Bucky took a cursory look at the faces that were buzzing around.

"She will be." Steve put one more crate of Stark's tools at the back of the truck. Renny always was. When she'd become more active with the Howlers, she showed up at the start of missions before she disappeared and turned into an invisible guardian during battles.

They were getting into their assigned trucks when the Captain heard Gabe Jones, "Hey, just in time, Perry!"

They were set to move out already, so he would have to wait 'til a bit later to check on her.

Two jeeps. Theirs was first and Morita was at the wheel with Falsworth at the front. Steve, Bucky, and Dugan stayed at the back. The vehicle moved forward and turned by the second.

Steve stared hard when he spotted Renny at the back of Carter and Stark's vehicle. He would have made a fuss, but Gabe and Dernier were there too. He trusted them to keep an eye on his stubborn female friend who gave him her own flat stare.

Bucky huffed when he saw her too. He knew she could take care of herself, but her being around Stark or Carter still made his skin prickle. He didn't want to think about how livid Steve had been the day of the incident, it would only amplify his own worry. Actually, he could sense how his pal was fuming right now.

"You two should really ease up a bit." Dugan clapped their shoulders and stood between them. "Perry's a big girl. She can handle herself. Nothing's changed, has it?"

Steve and Bucky shared a look. They hadn't told any of the other Howlers about the incident, knowing it would cause even more discord working with the SSR.

* * *

"If we can decrypt these files, I'm sure we can find something useful in there."

"We can make copies, but I need to get them back to base to start decoding them."

"This equipment is outstanding! At the level- no, even more advanced than the HYDRA sub!"

Carter and the British scientist were working in the main files room which was attached to a high ceilinged lab where Stark was tinkering with some HYDRA tech. Renny made her rounds on the catwalk above them, while Steve and Morita stood guard at the main door. Bucky was assigned to stay on one of the roofs outside, and the rest of the Howlers and SSR soldiers patrolled the perimeter.

It was easygoing, mostly. The only real cause for concern was when a German plane flew over the building a few hours after they started their own intelligence gathering. It was little too far up for proper reconnaissance, but just to be on the safe side, they decided to pack things up a little sooner. They already had what they needed anyway.

Bucky kept watch from his perch while some files and tech were loaded into the jeeps. Stark was still working on detaching one last component from some equipment that was too big to take with them.

"We're taking out the last of the files, Howard. Do you have an ETA for that?" Peggy said, holding a box of HYDRA files before Dugan took it from her.

"Almost there, actually. I just-"

Click.

"Oh, shit."

There was a series of rapid beeps.

"Howard!"

"Agent! Wait!"

An explosion and blinding flash of pale blue light burst forward and the inventor could only close his eyes and wonder a bit about the afterlife. Heat enveloped him for a second and made him yell. His breath was stolen from him when the light suddenly receded before a second high-pitched explosion sounded.

* * *

"Ah, shit."

"Ffffuuuuuck." The drawn-out curse ended in a hiss.

"The explosion blocked the exit." The British scientist explained.

Peggy came from the now impassable doorway. "Dugan got safely on the other side of the doorway before it collapsed. However, we heard gunfire from outside. HYDRA must have known we were here for a while." She knelt down and slowly put a hand on Renny's temple. Her fingers came away with a little blood. "How is she?" She voiced the question to Howard.

"The head wound is shallow. It's her shoulder and back that got the real damage. She flew into those metal shelves. Fell right onto the corner of one of them and hit her shoulder blade. Now she can't lift her arm." Stark explained.

"I can't get us out," Renny whispered guiltily when she noticed Agent Carter's unsure glance and deduced the other woman was thinking about how to ask her to use magic to help them escape. Renny needed both her hands for a portal spell. "I'm sorry." She groaned when she flinched again at the faint sound of gunfire.

Carter took off her blazer, "Sit her up some more." When Howard did so, Peggy wrapped the piece of clothing around the other woman to stabilize her arm in a makeshift sling. "There. That should do it."

"Thank you," Renny said softly.

"It's the least I can do." Peggy nodded. She looked around. "There has to be another way out."

Howard looked up, "This is a very large lab, so there should be…There!" He pointed, "A vent!"

"It does look large enough," The other scientist nodded. "We can get through."

They didn't have any other option unless they risked waiting for someone to blow the entrance. With the Howlers outside, it was likely that HYDRA would get to the lab first.

Quickly, they climbed the ladder to the catwalk, Renny insisting that they go first as she would be a bit slow making the climb one-handed. She arrived at the metal walkway just as Howard had shot twice at the vent cover to remove the bolts.

"Go on, I'll slow you down." Renny insisted again. The British scientist nodded and quickly knelt to crawl in the vent first.

Peggy frowned, "No. Howard, you go next. You'll be between us, Capelli. I'll bring up the rear."

Renny tried to look pointedly at her injured arm which was wrapped against her chest.

Peggy surprised her with her next words, "I'll give you a push if you're too slow." Another explosion sounded close by. Probably down the hall to the lab. "We don't have time to argue this. Get moving Stark!" She snapped.

The man put up his hands, "I wasn't arguing." He got on his knees and disappeared into the vent.

One more dry look from the agent made Renny follow. She hissed slightly as her injured arm was jostled, but she started army crawling behind Howard, doing her best to push herself forward more with her legs than pull with her single arm.

She peeked behind her and saw Peggy duck into the opening. When she noticed the magic-user hesitating, she growled, "Move!" A forearm was used to shove at her behind and Renny squeaked.

"Going!"

* * *

"The hallway looks empty." The scientist reported, looking from another vent they had found. The four stayed silent for a few seconds, gauging that the sounds of fighting were far enough. One by one, they carefully dropped down.

"I'll catch the tough gal."

Renny turned so she could slip out feet first.

Peggy offered to lower her down. The woman had a good hold on Renny and Howard caught her by the waist.

"Alright, last one."

Howard positioned himself to catch Peggy as well. She lowered herself from the vent, both arms stretched above her head-

A bullet ripped through the woman's sleeve and grazed her arm. She fell the last few feet, rolling for cover when she hit the ground.

"Damn." She cursed looking at her companions.

Renny had to drag Howard to cover. He had gotten shot in the leg during the chaos and the magic-user had shielded him with her body. She was now clutching her side, wincing. There was no blood.

"Are you two alright?"

"Protection charms." She explained, patting her coat.

"It's just a scratch," Stark grinned though he winced a bit.

Peggy nodded.

Unfortunately for them, they were at a dead-end hall. The one door that lined the wall was locked.

All grim-faced, they readied themselves. Stark and Carter had guns. The other scientist moved further back so he wouldn't be a hindrance since he was unarmed, but prepared to run. Renny started a spell, fingers igniting with an arcane glow.

Boots thumped closer and shots were fired in their direction.

Renny sucked in a sharp breath, the magic lacing her hand sparking as she curled her fingers into a tight fist to make it dissipate.

Tesseract weapons.

She should have expected it. HYDRA was expecting to go against Captain America and his team after all. Of course, they would bring their best weapons.

Howard noticed and peeked into the hall, the pale blue glow seeping from the seams of the opposition's weapons confirming his suspicions. "Alright. Get back, tough gal. You're benched for this one. We don't want any incidents."

 _Incidents._

An idea clicked in Renny's head and she clenched her jaw.

Peggy seemed to understand, "Capelli, don't-"

Too late. No time to think about it too much.

The magic-user jumped into the hall, fingers blazing again.

 _One shot._

One glowing slash of arcane energy shot from her uninjured hand and the HYDRA soldiers fired in retaliation.

An explosion rocked the corridor and blasted the HYDRA soldiers off their feet. Renny was knocked back and she tumbled a few times on the floor before skidding on her hands and knees.

 _Ugh._ This happened too many times, she'd eventually learned to somewhat keep herself from being so easily thrown around like a ragdoll.

"Are you mad?! You could have severely injured yourself!" Peggy was at her side, examining Renny's face and looking at her eyes for any signs of concussion.

"Worked, didn't it?" Renny groaned out, feeling sore and somewhat drained.

Peggy looked down the hall to see the HYDRA soldiers all knocked out.

"Come on. Let's go. That blast is bound to attract attention." She urged, grasping the other woman by the forearm to help her stand.

Thankfully, they met almost no resistance. The Howlers had actually dispatched most of the enemy. The rest had to retreat when their numbers had been cut down by too much.

The quartet found their way out of the building to see a troop of HYDRA soldiers left being finished off. Peggy and Howard moved forward to protect their more vulnerable companions.

Renny lingered at the exit along with the other scientist, leaning on the wall. She just needed to catch her breath a bit. They needed to wait so everything was secure-

The back of her neck stung and she heard the scientist beside her slump to the ground. Her limbs went numb and her vision suddenly went fuzzy.

* * *

 **A/N: Longest chapter so far, I think. Almost to the end of the main storyline. What do you guys think? Suggestions, comments, and thoughts will be nice to read. Drop a review if you can!~ Sorry it's taking longer between updates, working a job now and I'm essentially making chapters for both this story and the sequel for GTKS. I only have so much free time for writing these days. I hope you'll keep sticking with this story even with the slower updates.**

 **Thanks again to everyone who read and added this story to their favorites, especially those that dropped a review. Reviews really help fuel my muse.**

 **Til next time~**


	23. Bridge

**Bridge**

* * *

Today felt like one of those days.

One of those days when everything just felt like it was crashing down on her. When the weight of exactly what was in her head felt so heavy, she felt like she could sink into the ground. When her chest hurt so much because she knew what she had to do and her heart was breaking at the mere thought of doing nothing when the time came… and it was still quite a way off in the future.

It was one of those days she wished everything would just stop and she could fade away into nothing so she wouldn't have to face the horror.

The pain.

The heartbreak.

But right now her heart was already hurting, and the sadness was consuming her. She curled into a ball, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself to try and find some semblance of comfort or relief from the pain.

But…

She just hurt.

She didn't even realize several silent tears run down her cheeks.

She just _hurt_.

So much.

 _Too much_.

That was how they found her- tucked into herself and staring forward at the wall, eyes blank, haunted and glassy.

The two soldiers looked at each other, unsure. They could see the tear tracks on her cheeks. The redness that rimmed her eyes. She never cried. Almost. For as long as they knew her they could count the times they'd seen evidence of her crying on one hand.

Bucky slowly stepped forward, knowing that if they left her alone, she would just spiral deeper into her depression and probably disappear for a few days without telling them. "Hey, Sunshine." He soothed softly.

She curled tighter into herself and hid her face in her knees, behind a curtain of hair and beneath her ever-present hood.

"What's wrong, Bangles?" Steve gently touched her shoulder.

She couldn't tell them. Would never tell. For their sake... And for hers.

She didn't shrug him off, but she shivered.

She suddenly felt cold.

 _So cold_.

She could hear the howl of wind rushing in her ears.

She could feel ice covering her in a dark abyss.

She couldn't breathe because one gasp, and freezing water would rush down her throat and choke her.

The cold felt like it was biting at her heart and freezing the blood in her veins, turning into shards of ice. Why couldn't she just be numb?

Why couldn't she just be numb from the pain?

"Steve…" Bucky whispered.

His friend nodded.

She didn't hear, she didn't see. She didn't pay any mind to the soft thump of footsteps and squeak of the mattress she was sitting on.

 _Dark._

 _Cold._

Then slowly, like the sun creeping from the darkness, warmth began to caress her skin, from one side to the other, before enveloping her completely.

Renny straightened and tensed slightly, realizing that Steve and Bucky had sat down right on either side of her and wrapped their arms around her smaller frame, surrounding her with their presence, their warmth, their heat and... love. Just love.

"You're okay. You're safe, Bangles."

"You're fine, doll. You're right here."

"Buck and I are right here, okay?"

"Yeah…" Bucky wrapped his arms around her tighter and nuzzled his nose in her hair.

Steve tucked the top of her head under his chin, cocooning her.

Minutes passed this way in silence before the two could feel the woman between them slowly relax. Neither of the two relinquished their hold on her just yet.

A minute more passed before she turned to hug Steve, then Bucky, squeezing them both tightly. They continued to stay in place, even after her gesture. Renny couldn't help but let out a deep sigh of contentment. The cold that had gripped her so tightly had been chased away by their warmth. At least… for now.

There would always be days like this one. Maybe not often… but there would be.

And a time would come where neither of them would be here for her anymore. Renny forcefully shoved the thought as deep into a mental box as possible and locked it away.

Not now.

Not _now_.

Because right now, right at this moment, she was warm. And she would savor it.

She was warm.

"See? Don't deny it. Making you a sandwich works." Bucky teased.

"Shut it, pancakes." She growled, keeping her eyes closed and trying to stay in the moment.

"He's right, you know." Steve quipped lightly, glad that Renny was responding now.

She huffed. The moment was gone. She elbowed the blond in the ribs, knowing she could never really hurt him and pushed off from her seat. Sniffing and running her hand down her face twice before she faced them, she gave a small smile.

Her tone was enthusiastic, "Okay, boys. What's the next mission?" A mission would help keep her mind off of darker thoughts until the next day came.

And they would come.

They would come, and her best friends wouldn't always be there.

* * *

When Renny regained a semblance of consciousness, full-blown panic washed over her and she launched herself forward, tackling the first figure her blurry vision had made out.

"Sunshine!"

She willed magic to her to conjure a spell-

"Wait! No!"

The simple thought made pain shoot up her arms and into her chest. She screamed, crumpling to the floor and wrapping her arms around herself.

"Renny!"

"Bollocks! Where's the doctor?!"

A shrill beeping filled the air.

"Her heart rate is through the roof! 160 and climbing!"

"You have to leave, sir!"

"Bucky, come on."

"Charging…"

* * *

Bucky put his face in his hands. Renny had yet to wake up after they stabilized her heartbeat.

"Ah."

He looked up at the sound and saw Agent Carter standing at the doorway.

"I'll come back later-"

"No." Bucky ran a hand through his hair and took a breath, "No. It's- It's alright. She wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. HYDRA almost got her, but you didn't give them a chance. Thank you." The man said sincerely.

Peggy nodded, "Of course. I'm sorry to have doubted her before."

Bucky sighed. "She tried to get through to me and Steve, but I admit… I was being stubborn."

"We were both stubborn."

Steve was looking to the floor, standing slightly behind the agent. He looked up to meet her gaze. "Me especially. I'm sorry too, Agent Carter." His apology was as sincere as his friend's. "You were trying to keep us safe from a perceived threat," He sighed, "I was angry. And…" The blond fished for more words, but he was running short. So he simply finished with, "Thank you for saving her."

Peggy took a breath, "She's... She's an important asset for the Howling Commandos," Steve's face scrunched a little until the woman added, "and your trusted friend. She also didn't hesitate to keep _my_ friend, and myself even if I treated her horribly, safe. _I_ should be thanking her."

Steve nodded, "That's just how she is."

There was a few moments of awkward silence, Bucky noted it wasn't tense anymore, before Peggy spoke up again, "I'll come back later. I leave Capelli with you. Sergeant. Captain."

"Agent Carter." The two men said back.

Steve watched her go for a moment before he turned back and walked into Renny's room.

He stood by his pal and glanced at the beeping monitor before looking at his unconscious friend's face.

"She'll get through it, Buck. She's a fighter, you know that." He squeezed his shoulder, giving him a meaningful look.

Bucky sighed. "I do. But you heard what Stark said. Those bastards charged that tranq they used on her with the blue stuff. Who knows exactly what it did to her heart when she tried to use magic when it was still in her bloodstream?"

"They _what_?" The voice was so raspy and soft, it could almos6 have been imagined.

However, the two soldiers immediately looked at the form on the bed. Her face was scrunched and one eye was squinting but open.

Bucky immediately took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips.

Steve put his hand on the young woman's other arm and squeezed. They both wanted to wrap her in a hug but were conscious of how their friend might be hurting from the shock to her heart.

"God, Bangles. You've been out for five days."

"You had me worried, Sunshine." Bucky gripped Renny's hand almost like something bad would happen if he loosened his hold.

Sensing his distress, Renny pushed herself to slowly sit up and drape her arms over Bucky's shoulders. He immediately moved forward at the gesture and pulled her to his chest. The sergeant relaxed slightly, but his hold was firm.

They held each other silently for a few moments before Renny opened her eyes again and spotted Steve, looking somewhat happy, but awkward at the same time.

Renny let out a raspy chuckle, "Come here, teddy bear."

Bucky guffawed at the nickname and tugged Steve to them so Renny could give the blond a hug too.

"Thanks for saving me." She whispered, her throat still sore.

Steve pulled back and scratched the back of his neck, "Ah… actually…"

"It was Agent Carter. She shot the HYDRA soldier that tried to sneak off with you." Bucky explained while he carefully handed Renny a cup of water. "We just backed her up when we saw."

Renny wasn't so surprised by that revelation, what caught her attention was Steve's face. He looked contemplative and a bit guilty. "He might have gotten into the woods before we noticed you were gone if she didn't shoot the sneak." The Captain explained. If Renny squinted, she could see and hear the hint of respect in that statement.

It looked like Peggy had redeemed herself somewhat in Steve's eyes and he was a bit conflicted about it.

Some weight lifted from Renny's shoulders. Getting shot up with a tesseract-charged tranquilizer dart was one hell of a bitch, but she would do everything she could to get the friendship between Steve and Peggy back on track… even if she had to get shot again.

She took two sips of water to ease her throat, before she smiled and said, "I should say thanks, then. Could you?…"

Steve understood the request, "Ah, she might be a bit busy-"

Renny pouted.

"-but I guess she can just say if she is. I'll go check." He said reluctantly before turning and going down the hall.

The young woman smiled again and took a satisfied sip of water. Bucky looked at her with a mischievous grin and a raised eyebrow, "I see what you're trying to do, Sunshine. Stevie had a thing for Carter even before that damn incident. So I'd assume you're rooting for them, huh doll? Is that why you were so upset when Steve started being sorta cold with her?"

Renny was silent and hid half her face behind the cup in her hands.

That was answer enough.

He chuckled, "Always worried about everyone except yourself." The man unashamedly kissed her on the cheek. The beet red blush on her cheeks was apparent with her still pale complexion.

She huffed, trying to calm herself, especially when Bucky laughed again because the beeping from her heart monitor sped up in time with her hammering heart.

"Well, you do it enough for me." She grumbled, noticing how Bucky looked a bit scruffy with his rumpled clothes and five o'clock shadow. He probably hadn't left the hospital for a while. She didn't expect him to reply.

"Of course, Doll." He leaned forward and cupped her cheek, "'Cause you're my Sunshine." He paused, a chuckle escaping him as he looked away. "I'm getting ahead of myself." He looked back at her a sincere look in his eyes. "I know I said I'd wait, but…"

Renny's breath caught in her throat.

"… Be my girl, Sunshine."

The young woman felt that moment keenly. His warm hand on her cheek. His blue eyes glinting with hope and determination. The itch on her scalp that came with not washing her hair for days. The dryness of her chapped lips. The coolness of the room apparent because of her thin hospital gown and the scratch of the sheets on her calves.

She knew she looked a mess… And yet he still wanted her.

Warmth blossomed in her chest. And Dugan's words from before echoed in her head.

 _We're at war, Angel. You should be savoring the moments you do have._

 _You can't always be there._

Maybe she should just take the leap. She proved that she'd changed the timeline enough already with just her existence when Bucky almost died when he wasn't supposed to in Azzano. What would really change if she said yes, as long as she let history take its course later on?

Aside from the fact that she would absolutely hate herself if she hurt Bucky by pushing him away again, she wanted this too. She wanted this.

Too many seconds had dragged on, and Bucky was starting to feel a sting in his chest. He knew how Renny felt without her saying, but he needed to make this real before it well and truly slipped through his fingers. "Say yes."

 _Savor the moments._

This wouldn't just be for her. It would be for him too. Didn't Bucky Barnes deserve all the happiness he could get before he faced the horrors of HYDRA and becoming the Winter Soldier?

Not trusting her voice, she held him close and nodded into the crook of his neck.

He felt her, but he needed her words, "Tell me, Doll."

She swallowed and pulled back, looking shyly into his eyes. Why the hell was this so hard?

"Yes, Bucky."

It was almost inaudible, but she'd said it.

Bucky's worried expression morphed into a smile. Then an elated grin. The joy was contagious and it helped let Renny let go of her anxiety and smile genuinely too.

A whoop sounded from the doorway.

"Finally! I was wondering when Perry'd stop being silly and put Barnes out of his misery." Dugan laughed from the doorway.

Dernier gave a thumbs up and a wide grin.

"You owe me ten bucks," Gabe slapped Morita's back and the Fresno native groaned. Falsworth shook his head, not approving of his teammates' betting.

The Brit looked at the startled pair, "I do apologize for their brash behavior. We came to check on you while we were in the compound. Glad to see you're up again, Perry."

Said woman tried to hide her blush with her sheets on her cheeks and nodded.

* * *

Steve had found Peggy in the lobby of the medical area, speaking with one of the staff. He struggled a bit but managed to tell Peggy that Renny was now awake and asking for her.

The Howlers had passed the pair in the lobby and Steve also relayed the news that the team's magic-user had regained consciousness.

Dugan excitedly led the group on to Renny's room.

Steve and Peggy smiled.

"I see now how they really treat her like a friend, not just a teammate." Peggy looked in the direction of the hall that led to the stairs to the patients' ward.

"Renny's reliable. She makes it a habit to watch everybody's backs." Steve said, as though trying to build his friend's image up even more in the agent's eyes.

"She's still a mystery though, even to you, I gather."

The captain was about to say something else when Peggy continued, "I guess we all have our secrets. Some more than most."

They heard a whoop.

"We better get back there. Bucky may be okay with attention, but Renny isn't really used to it." Steve shook his head, having a good guess of what made Dugan cheer out like that.

The pair began walking.

"So did Barnes finally crack her?" Peggy asked casually. "I think everyone knows he fancies Capelli."

Steve looked at her, surprised.

"What? I was suspicious of her, which may have made the sergeant's infatuation with her more apparent, but he didn't hide it. Capelli was trying to fight her own feelings, so I guess that's a point for her. A double agent would have taken full advantage of it."

Steve chuckled now, "Okay, I guess it wouldn't take a special agent to see it."

Talking about someone else's feelings was a good way to start talking to each other again. It would take some time, but maybe they could rebuild their friendship.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Just in case some clarification is needed, that first part was a flashback._ _My muse is getting a bit lazy. Which is such a pain in the ass because we're going into the final arc. Thoughts? Suggestions? Criticisms? I would love to hear/ read what you guys are thinking about the story so far. Thanks so much to all those who've continued to stick with story, dropped their reviews, and taken the time to read this._**

 ** _'Til next time~_**


	24. Catch

**Catch**

* * *

It was clear that the Red Skull wanted his little valkyrie back. So it was only logical to stick Renny on the bench for a while to thwart any risk of her being captured.

Though it warmed her heart as always to know that they cared, Renny was _not_ happy about their decision.

"You know I can just shadow you," the woman folded her arms and frowned, "Like before."

The retrieval mission at the abandoned factory was a fluke. She could handle herself.

"Renny, the weapons were already a threat before, but now that we know that Schmidt made something specifically for you... We can't take the chance." Steve shook his head.

"Sorry, Sunshine. You've got to sit the next few missions out." Bucky put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed. "Besides, you could use the extra rest-"

"Buck. I'm okay already." She'd already spent an extra week on bed rest after she woke up in the medical ward, which is how she missed the briefing for the mission they were now leaving for in a few hours. They only visited her to say where they were going and to pick up the team's sniper. "I'll just be more careful."

If they thought she would sit and hide away like some scared mouse, they were wrong. Technically, they couldn't really stop her anyway. It would be easy to just trail-

Burnished gold glinted on a chain in front of her. Her eyes widened and she snatched at it, but it was pulled quickly away from her grasping fingers.

" _You_ …" Renny almost seethed.

Bucky kissed her temple when she turned, "Sorry, doll." He'd snuck the ring away while she was asleep. No wonder he was clingy that day, he didn't want her to notice immediately. Being the blushing girl new to a relationship, she didn't mind sticking a little closer to Bucky for a while.

She turned beet red again and quieted at his actions and the frown on her face was more a pout now. She eyed her sling ring dangling from the chain on Bucky's neck.

"I'll give it back after things cool down a bit. Maybe once Stark works out something to counter the tesseract tranqs." There was a soft clinking sound as he pulled out another chain, holding it out to Renny. His dog tags. "So it's fair, you can keep these 'til then." He grinned, hung the tags gently around her neck and kissed the top of her head.

 _Damn_ … buttering her up with kisses and cheesy romance. And it was working too…

"One mission," She held up one finger. "That's it." There were usually periods of rest between missions anyway. At least a week to plan and get the necessary supplies, then travel time. One still felt like one too many.

Howard spoke up, "Well, I'm flattered that you think so highly of my genius, not that I can probably whip something up in that time frame-" Steve gave the inventor a look. The other man coughed and cleared his throat, "- But at least give me two missions." He requested.

Renny wouldn't budge on this.

Bucky gave her a pout and a look with those baby blues. "Please, Sunshine?"

 _God damn_ … this man shouldn't have this kind of control of her. It was so hard to fight, but she managed to return Bucky's look after swallowing and running a hand over her eyes. She turned her pout into a glare. "Stop playing dirty…" Renny did her best to growl. " _One_ mission only," she repeated firmly.

"Alright," Surprisingly, it was Peggy who stepped forward this time, "One. Then we see how it is. If Schmidt is still persistent, you wait out the next mission." It was a compromise that wasn't really a compromise and Renny knew it. Still, she was technically agreeing only to the one.

One additional comfort she had was that she'd found a teleportation spell that didn't need the use of her sling ring. However, she'd only use it for emergencies because it used _her_ brand of magic. Casting it anywhere too close to tesseract energy… she _didn't_ want to test that.

"Okay," She nodded. One mission for the sake of Steve and Bucky's peace of mind. But after that, she was shadowing them no matter what. Peggy didn't say specifically _where_ she had to "wait out". Out of the action but close enough to carefully observe.

"Where's the next mission?" Renny asked, resigned. She should at least know where they were going.

"Got some intel on a special delivery. Somewhere around the Swiss Alps." Dugan informed.

Something about his words made goosebumps break out on her skin. Sensing the spike in her unease, Bucky pulled her against him, "Don't worry, doll. We're all big boys. We can handle ourselves. Right?"

"'Course we can, Perry." Dugan pat Renny's shoulder.

"Pas besoin de s'inquiéter." (No need to worry) Dernier put his thumbs up.

"We still got Captain America." Gabe agreed.

"The Captain's more than enough to handle a couple of HYDRA goons. Besides, this is more a retrieval mission than anything." Falsworth added.

 _Retrieval?_ They were probably able to find somewhere else they could get Howard a few more weapon samples after the last one almost ended in disaster. The group of HYDRA that had tried to ambush them had successfully blown up the truck where they had loaded they haul from the last mission. So likely the place they were going was already cleared out or abandoned. They'd done this type of mission a few times before, and at the Alps too, so she shouldn't be so worried.

"Not to be a killjoy or anything, but you boys have to get going if you're going to keep to the schedule." Peggy looked at the clock on the wall.

"Schedule?" Renny cocked her head to the side. The word made her stomach turn strangely.

"We'll tell you all about it when we get back, Perry."

"Just focus on your RnR."

"You'll be back kicking Nazi ass with us in no time."

While Renny was preoccupied with the Howlers' goodbyes, Steve pulled Peggy to the side. "You and Stark will keep an eye on her, right?"

Peggy chanced a glance at the other woman on the bed, "Of course we will. Or Howard will. I can check on her, but I still have responsibilities at the SSR." She looked back at Steve, "And you should be worrying more about yourselves. You're the ones going after Zola."

* * *

Stark had taken Renny to the hotel he was staying at for the duration of his consultancy for the SSR in Europe so he could keep an eye on the tough gal. He thought that a change of scenery would help calm her down and do her some good. That was true for the first day, while the Howlers were still traveling to their destination. He was glad to see that she had taken a walk in the nearby park and looked a little less tense when she came back. However, during the middle of the second day, when Cap's team should have reached their destination, she completely _flipped_ out.

"Zola?! They're going after _Zola_?!"

Howard had casually mentioned some calculations he made regarding the timing the Howlers needed to stick to if they were going to catch their train. Renny's eyes had widened and all the color had drained from her face.

How could she have been so careless? Did she really lose track of time? She should have been more vigilant.

"Where?! Tell me where they were supposed to set up!" She was hysterical.

Howard put up his hands, "Perry! My calculations were flawless, I assure you-"

Renny shot to him, her expression almost feral. "Show me where!" She conjured a map on the coffee table, grabbed the man by his collar and directed him to it firmly.

He tried to placate her. Peggy had told him that he had to keep Renny from leaving. "It's just a retrieval mission, tough gal-"

"Just show me." She said icily.

Howard gulped. Something was _wrong_. He'd never seen the tough gal react so strongly to something… anything really. She tended to keep her emotions bottled up. Maybe just knowing a location would help ease her nerves.

Looking at the map, he circled his finger along a section of the Alps, "They're supposed to set up within this mile radius. There isn't a specific area as long as it's here."

Renny's hands went to her hair, "Shit."

Howard to put his hands on her shoulders to try to help calm her down, "Perry, you won't be able to catch up to them. It takes at least two hours to get there, even by plane, and Barnes has your teleportation ring."

Her voice was shaky, "I still have to try." She thought she would be able to do it. Let history run its course… turns out she wasn't that strong.

 _Fuck._ She didn't get to practice this spell so much yet.

Howard understood what she was trying to do when she stepped back and stood with her feet apart and her hands up, palms forward.

"No, no you don't, tough gal." Howard grabbed her hands this time, "It's just a retrieval mission! They'll be _okay_." He did his best to try and assure her.

Grey orbs had steel in them when they locked with his dark brown. "Let go."

* * *

The wind was howling and the chill seeped through their clothes.

That didn't really bother them though, they had other things to think about.

While Morita was tinkering with the radio, the rest of the team made sure their gear was secure for their trip down to the HYDRA train.

Bucky had already double-checked his harness and had taken a moment to tug at the chain on his neck. Fingers traced over the burnished gold. It was a bit large and awkward looking to him, but the dips and grooves on the small rectangular plate attached to the two rings were pretty.

Renny should have something pretty. Maybe a dainty necklace. Not a ring though, of course, it was _much_ too soon to even think of that… though he found the idea made the corner of his lips twitch upward.

"What're you thinking of, Buck?" Steve noticed the small smile on his pal's face. It made his heart warm that Bucky had found someone that kept his heart steadily, not just some fling.

Said man looked to the blond and contemplated, "When all this is over, I really should take Renny on a _real_ date."

Dugan put a hand over his heart in mock hurt, "Don't want us there, Barnes? We're great company!"

Gabe added, "Getting shot at by HYDRA is as romantic as any date you can take her to."

Everyone laughed.

"Oh, haha-"

Morita cut the banter, "Get ready, boys! We got a small window to catch this train!"

* * *

There was a disadvantage to this teleportation spell. Unless you knew exactly where you were going, it was somewhat unreliable. It also took a few seconds to materialize from one location to another. She'd had to knock Howard aside and escape into the bathroom and lock the door to give her time to cast it properly. When her body became solid again, she was five feet off the ground and landed into snow that was waist-deep.

The cold was biting and immediately her face felt raw from the wind.

Above the shrieking of the gale, she heard a sound that made her immediately claw her way forward out of the drift.

The roar of engines and the rhythmic clack of steel rails.

She couldn't see the train yet though. What she did see was a group of people gathered together, dark shapes against stark white... on the _opposite_ mountain peak.

"Bucky!" The desperate cry was carried away by the wind that was blowing in the opposite direction of the person she wanted to reach.

The chugging of the train was getting louder, and she saw it round the mountainside.

"Shit." What could she do?

 _No._

 _You can't change this._

Her knuckles turned white with how tight she was squeezing her knuckles.

 _What chaos might ensue if you change something so significant?_

 _Would Steve still attack HYDRA like he's supposed to after Bucky supposedly dies?_

 _What if they decide to go after Schmidt too late and he gets to launch his bombs?_

 _Would Steve still go into the ice? That is crucial. They **need** Captain America in the future._

 _This **has** to happen._

She grit her teeth.

Her nails were digging half moon indents in her palms.

The train was passing by her.

 _Bucky **needs** to become the Winter Soldier._

"Like. Hell." She growled at the voice in her head.

 _For a better chance in the future._

Why does he need to go through that kind of pain and torture?

"I'll make a better future." She said determinedly.

Keeping an eye on the front car of the train where there were less likely to be tesseract weapons, she started dematerializing.

"And that starts today."

* * *

It was cold. It just felt so cold even with the absence of snow.

Her limbs were stiff and when she managed to move them, she felt like a robot. Her movements were heavy and mechanical and she had to fight every step of the way.

Even when she had fire burning in her veins on the train and something otherworldly was weighing her down like when she had tried to save the soldiers in Azzano, this felt _much_ harder.

How could she face him? She'd failed. Something tried to console her that it was simply supposed to happen, but she brushed it aside.

The bar was in ruins, but inside, she could make out a faint light and a figure hunched over a table.

 _Go._

 _He needs you._

She managed to force her feet through the doorway and to the inner entrance. It was there the weight on her shoulders seemed to double.

"You love him, don't you?" Steve's voice cut through the silence. His super soldier hearing had picked up on her presence.

 _Love_ , not loved. Part of the blond didn't want to accept that Bucky was gone. The grief in his voice was palpable.

 _God_ , Renny wanted to tell him that his best friend was alive. Then they could arrange some kind of rescue mission for him.

The flare in her blood reminded her of her place. This universe _wouldn't_ let it happen. When she'd made her mind up in the Alps to try and save Bucky, it stopped her. She tried to ignore the burning in her veins and push past the weight of her limbs that increased as she got closer to Steve and Bucky. Two cars, just _two cars_ away, it forced her to her hands and knees and took the breath from her lungs.

She'd never felt so _useless_ in her life when she could only watch in abject horror as the metal Bucky was holding on snapped and he fell hundreds of feet into the icy river below.

Steve downed a glass of whiskey, refilled it, and pulled out a second one. It was silent as he filled it up as well and pushed it to the side, in front of another chair.

The invitation was clear, but the guilt almost kept Renny away. She managed to force herself to sit beside her friend hesitantly. Her shaky fingers wrapped around the glass and she examined the amber liquid for a moment. A second later, she took a large swig.

The young woman coughed once and relished in the burn of the alcohol. It was something compared to the numbness that had overtaken her after she watched Bucky fall. Other than that, there was a moment of blind rage that had consumed her when they had gotten Zola off the train. She'd screamed, lunged, and clawed at him. By the time Dugan and Morita had pulled her off the small man, he had bright red scratches on his arms and three distinct ones on his face.

Still, she hadn't stopped kicking and Steve had to take her from his teammates and envelope her in a firm hug. She'd continued struggling for a few more seconds until she broke down and sagged against him. The Captain walked away from the team who was restraining Zola.

He carried her behind a bend to give her some privacy. Her sobs were quiet, but her shoulders shook violently and as Steve kept holding her. He felt a steady stream of tears soak through the cloth on his shoulder. She cried for a long time, she stayed with him while the team waited for their transport. When it arrived, Renny shook her head and disappeared. She couldn't bear to be in the same vehicle as the man who she saw as the cause of Bucky's death.

"I'll take that as a yes." Steve's eyes were moist, but he held back his own tears. His blue orbs were filled with sympathy, "I... I'm sorry I couldn't save him."

Guilt, crushing guilt, filled Renny to the brim and her fingers tightened around her glass. He should be mad at her! Not _guilty_. If she had fought _harder_ , pushed _more_ , she could have done _something_ to save Bucky.

"He didn't say it out loud, but he loved you too, you know." He paused, letting out a choked chuckle, "Talked about how he was going to ask you on a proper date when all this was over."

Renny couldn't look Steve in the eye, he couldn't add to his own guilt by letting him see hers. He didn't deserve to be guilty, it wasn't his fault. When she had _known_ what was going to happen, it was completely _her_ fault.

"I-I'm sorry too." The words felt inadequate. So _horribly_ inadequate. The man had lost his best friend. One he'd known since he was a kid. Someone who'd stuck with him through thick and thin. A man who'd follow him to the ends of the earth if he asked. More than a friend, Steve had lost a _brother_.

She wanted to hug him, take his pain, but her suffocating guilt was holding her back. "I'm _really_ sorry." She could only manage to squeeze his arm, keeping her hand there for a minute when Steve held it there, before she pulled away, faded and disappeared.

* * *

 **A/N: Not much to say about this chapter. Thoughts? Criticisms? Comments or questions? Let me know what you think.**

 **'Til next time~**


	25. Ice

_**A/N: I was so preoccupied with the journey, I didn't realize it was the end.**_

* * *

 **Ice**

* * *

The last mission… the _final_ mission.

They'd taken steps to really make sure that she wouldn't leave the SSR compound and try to follow Steve's team. Howard, eager to make up for his slip during the previous mission, had thrown together an ankle cuff embedded with the smallest hint of energy from a HYDRA weapon sample that would disrupt her use of magic. Supposedly, anyway.

After all, Renny was emotionally compromised. Considering how she tried to maul Dr. Zola even when he wasn't directly involved in causing Bucky's fall, it was a logical decision. Steve technically was too, but he'd proved to have a much cooler head.

They were going to into the heart of HYDRA and Schmidt was there. The man who wanted to use her and find her source of power for his own gain.

Yes, another solid and logical reason not to take Renny along.

This universe was really doing its best to keep her away from the event and possibly helping Steve and keeping him from going into the ice.

"I'm doing this for you and Buck, alright? Stay, this time, _please_. I'll be back before you know it."

That was the last thing Steve said to her before getting on the vehicle that would take him and the Howlers back to the Alps.

She'd hugged him so tightly before he left.

 _Stay safe._

 _I'll see you when you get back._

How could she say that when she knew it would be impossible? That he would be asleep for decades and the world he knew would be practically gone?

She couldn't even assure him with her usual, "I'll be around." She could likely be dead by the time he woke and returned to the land of the living.

Settling on two words, she looked up at him, grey eyes red and glazed with tears and lips curved in a trembling smile, "Kick ass."

He'd grinned resolutely at her before he'd gone. And she was stuck at the SSR.

* * *

Howard had snapped the cuff on Renny's ankle without much resistance. Now, he was more confident about bringing her out of the compound and back to his hotel. She didn't fight or argue about being at the compound so she could get news and updates about Steve and Howard wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She stayed in her room the whole time, curled under the thick duvet on her bed. Even an offer from the Stark to take her out to coffee or dinner didn't garner a response from the lump on the mattress.

Perhaps it was for the best, there was something he wanted to talk to her about. Something he'd pieced together when she stayed with him last.

Then Howard got the news through a call from the SSR on a secure line. They'd stopped the insane Red Skull from successfully dropping bombs. They'd crashed the large carrier that carried the bombs before it reached New York, but the cost great, Steve Rogers had gone down with it.

Howard's fists clenched.

 _Dammit Rogers._

The captain's sacrifice was admirable for sure, but now the man had left the inventor with the responsibility of breaking the news to his friend.

His feet felt heavy as he walked down the short hall to her room and knocked on the door, even if it was never locked. That burning question in the back of his mind also helped to spur him on.

He waited a few seconds and was about to push it open when it swung inwards, revealing a tired, disheveled looking Renny.

Before he could even say a word, she practically collapsed forward and slung her arms around the man in a tight hug and trembled like a leaf in a storm. She'd been counting the hours in her head. Hours until Steve reached the HYDRA headquarters. Hours 'til he got on that plane. Moments that he spent saying his goodbyes to someone he could have shared a future with. The tracking spell she'd placed on her friend had also gotten ice cold for a few seconds before she dulled her connection to it.

When Steve went into the ice, Renny was hundreds of miles away.

"Easy, tough gal. Breathe." He said, patting her back a little bit awkwardly when he realized her breaths were shallow and shaky. What was even more disquieting was how she almost didn't make a sound at all, even when a portion of his shirt became damp. She didn't even need to look at him to see the look of sadness, regret, and sympathy in his eyes. She could feel it in his touch. Hear it in his shushing. He didn't say anything more…

Yet she knew what had happened to Steve.

She also knew about Barnes.

That was the only reason why she reacted the way she did before. And now too.

 _But… if she did know, why didn't she do anything about-_

Wait, she did try. For Barnes… Rogers said he'd glimpsed her after he'd watched in horror as his friend plummeted hundreds of feet. His super soldier hearing had picked up a heartwrenching wail and seen her on her hands and knees on top of the train, just two cars away.

Then when the Captain was leaving… Howard had chalked up the resignation he'd seen in Perry's eyes to understanding that she'd be more of a liability…

A spy wouldn't be so obviously and genuinely torn up about what happened to Barnes and Rogers. And one working for HYDRA wouldn't have let the Captain leave or succeed in crashing that plane.

So… what was she? Who was she?

No one ever really gave him her background. Just that she was the Barnes' and Rogers' friend for several years before the war.

How did she know things?

His train of thought plagued him as he continued to rub circles on the distraught young woman's back until she fell asleep still holding him. Renny was his friend, though admittedly, one he knew little about with regards to personal history. Still, he knew little personal things. Like how she disliked alcohol. Or how she loved listening to people talk, especially when they laughed. She didn't not like people, just being around too many made her uncomfortable. She was a sucker for helping people out. Hence, probably one of the reasons she'd indulged in his questions about her magic even if she couldn't answer him fully.

He knew how she easily disappeared when she felt uncomfortable, especially displaying her magic unless she was using it for something, but she'd graciously shown him her spells repeatedly just so he could try to understand them himself. She was a friend who had even saved his life.

Howard knew the least he could do for now was to save his questions until after she had time to grieve. Until they all had time to grieve.

He left her alone for the rest of the day and all of the next, simply leaving trays of food outside her door. On the third day, he had to disturb her since he'd wrapped up things with the SSR and wasn't needed in the UK anymore. He was going back to America. Later tonight. Of course he was going to ask her to go with him.

He wasn't going to leave a friend behind. Not when she was obviously in distress.

However, when he opened the door to her room, her bed was empty and the sheets were made.

Howard sighed.

His questions would have to stay unanswered for now.

The only sign of the woman's former presence was the note on the bedside table.

The paper was wrinkled and the first two lines were scratched out. Even with the scribbles, Howard could make out the words.

 ** _*I'l** *e ar**nd.**_**

 ** _*Tak* *are o* y**rse*f.**_**

The man sighed, reading the two words that Renny had seemingly decided on. The sparse few letters were crooked from hesitation and drops of water made the last word blot slightly.

 ** _I'm sorry._**

The note only strengthened his theory about Renny knowing something. And that she knew that he knew… or at least, that he had some kind of hunch.

"You take care, tough gal. Wherever you are." He said, shaking his head.

How much she knew things, he could never really guess. But any knowledge about the future, the words wouldn't come easily, even when they were just said in his mind, because time travel was a fairy tale. Right?

But then… so was magic…

He could only hope she'd come back… sooner or later.

'Til then, he had a search and retrieve mission to plan for when he got to America. That's where all his equipment and tech was, after all.

* * *

The howling wind whipped her hood back from her head and the chill cut to the bone. Her skin was already red from barely half a minute of exposure.

Grey eyes looked down from the rails where she stood. Hundreds of feet below, an icy river raged.

Why did no one try to look for Bucky after the war? Wasn't he important too?

There was some resentment in her for that… toward the SSR… Towards Colonel Philipps... Howard and Peggy…

Then again, Steve was _Captain America_. _Of course,_ he took their priority.

Steve was closer to Howard and Peggy...

Still…

Wasn't Bucky a friend to them too?

Bucky deserved the effort.

Even when she _knew_ …

Renny's fists clenched tightly.

She cut the thought off, shaking her head and wiping away the moisture that had threatened to build at the corner of one eye. She'd cried already.

Taking a deep breath of the icy air, shuddering at how it burned her lungs, she jumped down the ravine.

Time seemed to slow down in her head, she lost herself in the rush of wind and the bite of it on her face while she plummeted through the air headfirst. The wind in her ears was soon overcome by the sound of rushing water from below. One more breath and it turned into a roar.

One more breath and-

Eyes snapped open and sparks enveloped her, slowing her fall like a net for a falling acrobat.

The net spell redirected the rest of her descent to the riverbank instead of the icy water and she landed a little hard on the snow-covered rocks.

Her knee would surely bruise. Her wrist was probably sprained too.

 _So_ close. She'd been so _very_ close.

If the fall didn't kill her. She would have probably drowned.

A part of her wanted it to be over and she'd listened. In the end though, she couldn't do it. She ended up chickening out.

Pushing herself up with her other hand, she looked at the raging river again then the narrow path before her.

She walked.

And walked…

And walked...

 _It would be easy to try again._

Something whispered in the silence of her numb thoughts.

 _So easy…_

Then she noticed that her feet had stopped and that she was on her knees again, arms enveloping her body. She had canceled out the warming charms on her robes before she came here, so the cold had seeped through easily. She couldn't feel her fingers and toes.

She could just lie here.

All she had to do was wait.

She pressed her cheek to the cold ground, shivering, and closed her eyes.

She would have been content to lay there unmoving when something shone against her eyelids.

Damn... Why couldn't she just die in peace?

Opening her eyes and squinting, she looked for the source of the offending glint.

 _Wait…_

 _Was that?-_

Shaky hands pushed her up, though her legs wouldn't cooperate to keep her standing. She dragged herself forward a few yards before falling again to the ground.

"Oh God…"

A thin chain had caught on jagged rock. And on it… her sling ring. Dotted with a few drops of blood.

Renny's shaky hands picked up the ring and brought it to her chest and she curled around it. All thoughts of suicide bled from her mind.

There in the middle of the Alps, in the freezing snow and ice, she started laughing. Soft at first, then getting loud enough to echo around the gorge.

"Sadistic bastards! You planned everything didn't you?!" She glanced at the grey sky. Everything stayed silent.

Her laughter died and turned into labored, shaky breaths. Moisture built at the corners of her eyes again, threatening to fall. "Against everything, they somehow became my friends. And I was the idiot that fell for one of them, too." She scoffed to herself and tightened her hold on the ring, curling her body into a tighter ball. "Because I wouldn't really abandon them if I had strong ties." She stared down at the ring in her hand.

Steve…

Bucky…

What would they think?

The thought that she would end it all because of them.

 _"Bangles..."_

 _"Sunshine..."_

She could almost hear them. How they'd be crushed.

Overwhelmed with guilt.

Questioning _why_.

They wouldn't want her to do something so cruel to herself. Renny would erase any possibility of happiness outside of the two of them if she did.

And, at least to them, the possibilities were endless. She could never bring herself to tell them otherwise.

"Stupid teddy bear." She whispered.

One tear ran down her cheek and fell to the snow.

"Stupid Pancakes."

Two more followed.

Renny took one slow and deep breath, her shoulders shaking, tears now freely streaming down her cheeks. "Okay." She took the ring off the chain before she put the silvery links around her neck. She then slipped the burnished bronze on two fingers and clenched her fist tightly. "I'm with you boys for the long run." Looking back up at the sky, she kept one hand on her chest, over her heart, "Not because _some thing_ is trying to make me stay." She said loud enough to echo slightly again.

A few muttered words had warmth slowly covering her again.

She had to plan and prepare as best as she could.

And she had some seventy years to work with.

Sparks came to life around her, and they swirled upward.

A very long run indeed.

When they dissipated, she was gone.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So this is the official end of "The Second Sun". The story will be marked as complete, but every once in a while, as suggested, I will post one-shots here to keep it all together. There are over seventy years from here to GTKS, so there are a lot of potential stories there. I have a few scraps written up, and I just need to pick and polish. They won't be chronological, if ever. For other things, I guess it's up to your imagination. (wink)**_

 _ **A big thanks to everybody who's stuck with this story 'til the end and those who've helped me with their reviews, encouragements, criticisms, comments, and suggestions. Feel free to message me with questions, or maybe reviews with more suggestions for a one-shot you'd like to see.**_

 _ **Special thanks to:**_

 **KnightLawn**

 **Honey and Spice**

 **SeverusSnape'sLove**

 **LucilliaNovaDreyar**

 **steph557**

 **KrypticKoala**

 **assia. mehdid2002**

 **RochuRobalo**

 **Brooke**

 **Goldenfightergirl**

 **Shion Lee**

 **Rogue Reader**

 **Amir-015**


End file.
